


An Everlasting Love

by lieano



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Getting Back Together, Inspired by The Parent Trap (1998), M/M, Parent-Child Relationship, this isn't an mpreg thing lol sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-31
Updated: 2018-05-27
Packaged: 2019-03-11 21:46:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 64,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13533189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lieano/pseuds/lieano
Summary: Perhaps it didn't work because Niles and Odin rushed into it at first. But their fourteen year seperation won't be the end of the story if their devious twin daughters have anything to say about it.Zerodin AU inspired by Disney's The Parents Trap (1998)





	1. Love Was Made for Me and You

**Author's Note:**

> First of all, this entire idea was @DorkPatroller's. She came up with the premise and then told me write it so here we are. The Parent Trap (starring Lindsay Lohan) is my FAVORITE movie of all time and I'm SO excited to be writing this fic. Hopefully you don't have to have seen the movie to enjoy this, but I highly reccomend you watch it if you get the opportunity because it is FANTASTIC. The format of the fic is heavily inspired by the movie, but hopefully I can still catch you by surprise with some of the changes I've made. The tentative schedule right now is to upload a chapter every week on Wednesday. I have a few already written, so if I can keep up with a good writing schedule we should be set. Anyway, enjoy the fic, leave a comment or a kudos when you're done if you liked it, and have a great day! Thank you for reading!!
> 
> ((ps. Happy Birthday Nina!!))

“I’m just going to put this out into the universe. One of us is going to get laid tonight. And let's be real, it probably won't be you.”

Odin raised an eyebrow at his friend who post-insulting him was now showering him with pitiful looks and pats on the back. “That’s because I’m not here for a date, Laslow. I’m here for clients. So are you, I might point out.” 

Both of the men were dressed in some very fine suits. Designer, one might even say. Well, Odin might say, at least, because his mother had always said that if he had a dream to just speak as if it were so. 

Odin Dark was a fashion designer in his 20’s and he was... well, he was nobody yet. A few people who were slightly more ‘somebody's’ had heard his name, could perhaps smell his rise to fame in the air like an oncoming storm. But so far his entire enterprise was a small studio in London containing a handful of prototypes, a partnership with his best friend, and a few dozen sketchbooks. 

After tonight, though, Odin Dark was not going to be a nobody anymore. After tonight, if everything went according to plan, he would be a fashion designer who dressed the Nohr family. Of course, it would help a lot if Laslow, his financial partner and best friend, would play his part. 

Laslow scoffed and said, “It’s under control. Half of networking is flirting anyway. Check this out, I even created a one of a kind special edition pick up line just for tonight.” He cleared his throat rather dramatically. “Isn't this outfit stunning? It’s Vampire’s Toxic Claret by Odin Dark. And like all Odin Dark products it's multifunctional. It can be worn at formal events, or casual dates, or even to your mum’s house for supper. Of course, there is one place I haven’t seen it tested yet… Your hotel room floor.” Finger guns. 

Vampire’s Toxic Claret was a smooth, formal outfit. A dark purple dress shirt with subtle designs in it under a black blazer that had two long tails. Laslow wore it the way it was intended, no tie, blazer open, top 2 buttons of the shirt unclasped. It was sensual and mysterious and sexy. And Odin was afraid for it now. 

“Well old friend,” Odin sighed as he gave Laslow a hearty pat on the back. “I do wish you success. Fortunately, your presence here tonight is mere insurance. While you work the crowd with your impressive charisma, I will be hunting down a Nohr to network. Preferably one of the two eldest. Like Camilla Nohr, who already runs several fashion companies of her own. Or, even better, the head of the family, Xander Nohr.” 

Laslow beamed because Odin’s ambition, which was miles above his own, was admirable. “You're wearing the Courtship of the Moon. You will dazzle anyone you meet for sure.” 

Courtship of the Moon was, indeed, the most stellar piece Odin Dark sold. It was a three piece silver and black suit. The pants were a solid black, matching the bottom hem of the jacket. However, as the thread fell up it was overtaken by a glittering silver that danced in and out along Odin’s waist and elbows. The waistcoat and bow tie as well were made out of silvery glitter with a contrasting black shirt peeking out around his collar. The final piece, the one that Odin insisted separated it from every other suit and therefore had to be included, was a little band that wrapped around his forehead with a crescent moon charm dangling off center above his left eyebrow. Altogether, it had all the flair of a ball gown in the format of a tux. Odin thought it was one of his more understated looks, but it sold. It was going to have to sell tonight too. The Nohr Gala was an annual event, but for Odin Dark it was a once in a lifetime chance. 

Luckily, he and Laslow had already been in the states finishing up school, so they hadn’t needed to cross an ocean. But the invitations were exclusive. They had gotten theirs on the endorsement of a friend from high school in London. They had known her as Severa, but had been told that if they spoke that name they would lose their heads. She was Selena now, employed as a captain in the personal security team for the Nohr family. They were told it was almost on par with some national security teams, thus her name change and anonymity. 

Odin and Laslow had been thrilled at all to be reunited with her in the states, let alone to find out they were all in the same boat with a recent name change. Laslow’s had been for safety reasons involving a psychopathic father who was now (thankfully) in prison. Odin’s was professional- in a sense. Since deciding Odin Dark would be the name of his brand several years ago, he had taken to introducing himself that way and now almost everyone knew him as Odin. Only his mother, defiant even in the face of legal documents, still called him by his birth name. 

Needless to say, they had no intentions of revealing Selena’s identity. Or blowing this one chance. 

The car rolled up the circle drive of the hotel where the gala was being hosted and the gentlemen were escorted in. It was one of the nicer hotels in California, so the space for the gala was large and spread out, yet still exclusive. There was an enormous ballroom and a huge outdoor courtyard that people were filtering in and out of as they desired. Odin and Laslow gave their names to the concierge and got a little burst of excitement when they were allowed in. 

Before they could even make it to the ballroom, a dazzling woman in a floor length gown and elbow high gloves complimented their suits as she passed. Laslow gave his friend a hearty back slap. “Dibs.” Odin raised an eyebrow. “What? It seems like a promising lead.” 

“God speed,” Odin wished with a chuckle. Then Laslow was gone, chasing the woman out to a little table in the courtyard where several other beautiful women were socializing. Odin allowed himself a moment more of mirth at his friend’s mischief, then focused on the goal. The prize at the end of the night. A contract with the Nohr family. He turned to face the room where the main party was being held. Light conversation and gentle ballroom music drifted down the hallway, beckoning him. Odin took a deep breath. A feeling that something grand was going to happen settled in his gut disguised as nerves. Good. It was time to face destiny. 

The ballroom was massive, quite beyond Odin’s even wildest dream. There were several beautiful crystal encrusted chandeliers hanging from the ceiling which was comprised of ornate murals and carvings. There was a little stage at the far end hosting an orchestra that played waltz music, and a group of dancers were in front of it. To the left was a bar that was no doubt makeshift but constructed well enough to look like a permanent structure in the room. To the right was an impressive hors d’oeuvres spread. Most of the floor, however, was taken by incredibly wealthy people networking and chatting amongst themselves. 

Odin spotted two Nohr’s right away. He had their names and faces memorized, of course. He even had Laslow keep him up-to-date on the tabloids leading up to the gala just in case there were sore subjects he needed to avoid when he approached them. 

The first one he saw was dancing, closer to the hor d'oeuvres table than not, with a very tall, very muscular looking man. Elise, the youngest of the Nohr siblings, was wearing a very adorable knee-length dress with a bow in the back and a couple more in her long blonde and purple pigtails. She looked happy and she looked energetic and she looked distracted. Plus, Odin knew, she was rather young. He didn’t want to seem predatory in his hunt for new clients so he turned to the other Nohr that he could see. 

Leo Nohr was the second youngest and only a couple of years younger than Odin himself. And while he wasn’t as reputable as his older brother and sister, Leo Nohr was still very much an entrepreneur in his own right. 

Camilla and Xander were nowhere in sight, but he couldn’t see the situation with Leo being any more perfect. He was just venturing out into his own career and surely he would be hungry for new and upcoming investments. And he looked almost unoccupied, sipping a glass of wine at the bar as he listened stone faced to the conversation between two businessmen beside him, only interjecting once in awhile. 

In hindsight, perhaps Odin started to approach the young celebrity rather boldly. He was a beacon of glitter with his shoulders rolled back and his chest puffed out as he marched confidently toward the bar. 

He didn’t make it very far, of course. Odin almost ran into the man that stepped into his path, that was how sure and quick his gait was. He stopped suddenly and barely caught himself, but had to take a step back to actually get a good look at the man. He was muscular, dark and handsome. His wispy hair was shoulder length and almost white. His crystalline blue eyes pierced through his soul in a way that would have been intimidating if Odin were anyone else. 

The man wasn’t much taller than Odin, but he still managed to look down his nose at him with a sly grin as he said, “Hold up, gorgeous. Where do you think you’re going?” 

Odin cleared his throat and struck a pose. One hand on his hip, the other to his forehead to brush away short bangs in an effort to look cool and important. “I have come to request an audience with Mr. Nohr,” he announced boldly. 

The man’s grin didn’t falter as he crossed his arms across his chest. He had big arms. They barely fit together. “Are you now? Well, as you can see, Mr. Nohr is a little tied up at the moment.” 

“Ah,” Odin said. He repositioned his stance to look a little more inviting, making sure that his confident aura never wavered. “You must be his personal assistant then. I am Odin Dark, legendary fashion designer! It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” 

“Legendary?” the man repeated after he clicked his tongue in surprise. “Well then I’m sure Leo has heard of you. I’ll just tell him you were here and his people can contact your people, hmm?” 

“Wait!” Odin cried out. He even grabbed the man’s bicep before he could turn away. He was afraid of the move a second after he did it, but all the man did was raise an eyebrow and wait patiently for an explanation. “Perhaps _legendary_ was a bit preemptive. Actually, I came to introduce myself. I’m rather new in the industry, but very promising. I came tonight to see if Mr. Nohr would be interested in my work.” 

For added effect, Odin gestured to his body and tilted his torso to and fro so that the man could get the whole glittering effect of the Courtship of the Moon. The man looked just a little enchanted, with a new softness in his expression and a twinkle in his eye. Odin couldn’t help but feel a little victorious basking in his praise. “You made this?” 

“Of course,” Odin said proudly, ignoring the flutter of his heart. “What fashion designer in his right mind would show up to a socialite gathering not wearing their own brand?” 

The man hummed and seemed to ponder something for a moment. He glanced up and down Odin’s frame, then gestured to an empty spot at the bar some ways down from Leo Nohr’s conversation. “How about I keep you company until he’s available?” 

Odin stole one more glimpse of the room beyond him. There was still no sign of Xander or Camilla and now even Elise had disappeared. But if Leo was this hard to talk to, then he was positive no one else would be much easier. His best bet was to just wait this out. And besides, this stranger seemed friendly enough. 

“Of course. I don’t believe I caught your name,” Odin said as he let himself be redirected to the bar. 

“Niles,” said the man plainly. 

“Just Niles?” 

“‘Just Niles’ is fine,” the man replied smugly. “But I prefer Niles.” 

“That’s a rather abrupt name.” 

“You can only unlock my full name with the rest of my tragic backstory at level 58,” he said. Odin perked up. It sounded like a challenge, and nothing got Odin more heated than a mystery. Niles laughed at the elated expression, probably because this wasn’t a typical reaction to his dark humor. “You’re not like most people, are you? What do you drink, Odin?” 

Odin deflated just a little. “Oh, I don’t drink very often…” 

“Not very often implies that you do it sometimes,” Niles goaded. “Just have one glass of wine with me.” 

Odin cleared his throat. He wanted to be polite, especially in this setting. But he had to stay true to himself, it was part of his creed. “I had wine _once_ … It wasn’t quite my taste. Perhaps I’ll just have a-” 

“Wait, wait, wait,” Niles looked perturbed, though in a slightly bemused sort of way. As if the outright rejection of wine in particular was worse than not wanting to drink at all. “You had wine _once_ and you weren’t a fan? You didn’t have the right kind, then. There’s a wine soulmate out there for everyone. Let me prove it. What’s your favorite food?” 

Odin’s gut had a weird reaction to the word choice of ‘soulmate’. However, he was so desperately curious for what this handsome, charming man was going to do next, he ignored it and answered with a simple, “Chocolate.” 

“Ah, I see,” Niles said, maintaining a cool grin as they spoke. “Dark chocolate, perhaps?” Odin made a disgusted face. “Okay, milk then. You like sweet things. And tell me, for curiosity's sake, how you describe this wine you tasted once that you were not fond of?” 

It was a bit like answering 20 questions, except Odin didn’t know what the answer Niles was searching for was. He only unwrinkled his nose a little as he said, “Like licking a tree.” 

Niles nodded and turned to the bartender who was at his side in a flash, almost as if he could read minds. “Two glasses of your riesling, please,” he said and the man took off again to find the wine. 

The first surprise was when Odin watched the bartender pull a bottle out of the fridge. He had always kind of assumed wine was something you kept in a dusty cellar in the dark so it could live to be 500 years old. It was a light color, almost yellowish, but clear and easier to see through than the one wine Odin had reported tasting before. He knew that white wines existed of course, but he wasn’t quite sure what he had expected them to taste like. 

Last time he had tasted wine at one of his mother’s dinner parties, it had tasted like oak. It was such a paradox to him, that a liquid could be so dry. This wine was nothing like that. This wine was cool and refreshing. It was light and kind of sweet, but in a gentle way. It wasn’t like chocolate at all, but it wasn’t bad. In fact, it was pretty good. He tried not to get too curious or too overly excited and stuck to sipping it slowly and quietly like he thought wine was supposed to be consumed. He could see Niles watching him out of the corner of his eye. 

Odin turned and smiled a little bashfully at him, embarrassed of his prejudice from earlier. “It’s not bad,” he admitted. It made him feel warm and comfortable. Under normal circumstances, he didn’t really need a reason to relax around strangers, but for some reason, this time it helped. Maybe it was because Leo was his true goal and Niles had been a little off putting by distracting him from his original quest, but most likely it was just because there was something about this man that made him feel subconsciously nervous. And that, in turn, made him curious. He wanted to know more. 

“How do you know so much about wine?” Odin asked. “Is it a hobby of yours?” 

Niles seemed to hesitate talking about himself at first. He swirled his glass and stared at Odin as if trying to read deep into his intentions. But he did speak, and his voice was low and creamy as he did. It reminded Odin of chocolate. “I suppose a little preview of that dark backstory wouldn’t hurt. I mostly work for Leo right now, but I’m in the process of starting up my own winery. I just inherited a vineyard from an estranged family that I never really met. It’s kind of a dump right now, but I did some research and found out that it used to be pretty successful. So I figure with a little practice and some elbow grease, I might be able to make a name for myself in the world after all.” 

“And your current boss is okay with that?” 

“What, Leo? Yeah, he’s been a friend of mine for a long time. He doesn’t show a lot of emotion, but between you and me, I think he’s secretly excited about it. He’s tried supporting me financially, but I want to do it on my own. Apparently I’m the literal last living heir to this vineyard, so I figure it’s my responsibility alone to breathe it new life.” 

Odin could feel his blood boiling. “The raw power of destiny, a mysterious birthright. You’re a chosen one!” 

“I dunno about ‘chosen one’ right now. I’m still kind of just a ‘no one’.” 

“I don’t mean to brag,” Odin lied. “But my bloodline is of pretty high caliber. Some might even say _royal_. I have a keen eye for sensing greatness in others.” 

Niles chuckled, but Odin didn’t worry about being taken seriously. He felt relaxed around this man. “Royal, you say?” 

Carefully, but with great enthusiasm, Odin rolled up one sleep of Courtship of the Moon. He flipped his arm up and touched his fingers to his forehead so that his now bear forearm was displayed proudly, showing off a large dark patch of skin in a peculiarly particular shape. “Behold! A birthmark inherited from my bloodline! The British Royal bloodline. Her Majesty the Queen has this exact same mark herself, therefore there is no question of my lineage!” 

Niles hummed in approval. “I had no idea I was holding up a prince.” 

Odin blushed a little and rolled his sleeve back down, then picked up his glass hoping that he could shove the blame of his embarrassment off on the alcohol. “Well, prince is a bit… I mean, I’m very very _very_ distantly related, but related nonetheless, I’m sure. There’s still research to be had toward my exact… Genetic link. But I’m sure I’ll find it one day.” 

Just as he was about to take a sip, Niles lifted his own glass and held it out as if in offering. “A toast to your search, then, shall we?” he purred. His voice was still so smooth and Odin was still blushing and at this point he wasn’t sure if it _was_ the alcohol or something else. 

He smiled through the blush and held up his glass. “A toast to proving I’m royalty, may such publicity boost my clothing line beyond all my goals. And also… To your new vineyard. May it prosper even better than it once did.” 

Niles’ smile was something of wonder. It was fierce and provoking, but also charming and warm. Odin melted in it a little as the clink of the glasses meeting resounded around them. At the same time, catching them totally off guard, something bright flashed in their peripheral vision. The men turned to see a photographer with a large camera grinning at them. 

“Ah,” he said, rather pleased with himself. A large polaroid started to print from the bottom of his contraption. “I think that was a good one.” 

Niles and Odin couldn’t protest; the picture had already been taken. All they could do was patiently wait for it to develop. Niles tipped the man and he scurried away, then they shared a little laugh. 

“I had no idea he was there,” Niles said between airy breaths of mirth. 

“Me neither,” Odin admitted, completely consumed by his bliss. “Oh look! It actually looks pretty nice.” 

The lighting couldn’t have been better. The glasses and the wine inside both sparkled like crystal in the center of the picture where they connected together perfectly. And Odin and this man he had just met were gazing at each other like they were the only two people in the world. They both looked so handsome, so refined, so happy and so comfortable. It looked like a picture of models taken for a magazine. And maybe part of it was because he was displaying the suit he was so proud of but for a second, just a fraction of a moment, Odin saw his whole future in that picture. 

Just as Odin was coming up with excuses for that feeling, Niles burst the bubble. He casually glanced over his shoulder at his now fairly unencumbered boss and said, “Despite everything, you are very charming, Odin. Leo will probably think you’re a weirdo at first, but I support your endeavor and I’m willing to introduce you to him regardless. Besides, he might have a rough edge, but he’s fairly open minded when it comes to business.” He stepped away from the bar and looked at Odin expectantly. “You ready?” 

Maybe there was a god looking over Odin that night. Some higher being that saw even more of himself than he was willing to admit to, looking out for his best interests. Because at that moment, a soft, melodic tune gripped the room and all Odin felt like doing was moving to it. 

He glanced at Leo, who indeed looked in need of some business to be sold, and then back at Niles, who looked so mysteriously beautiful in the light of the chandeliers above. And Odin swayed a little. “Actually…” he started slowly, hesitating to backtrack on his original goals. He couldn’t deny the pull of destiny, though, which sometimes had plans separate from his own. Something was happening here and if he turned his back on it now he would regret it forever. “I can talk to Mr. Nohr some other time. This might be the wine talking but… Do you want to dance? With me, I mean.” 

Niles looked stunned, but only for a moment. He regained his coolness quickly, effortlessly even, and glanced out at the dance floor, seeking Odin’s train of thought. He must have found it because a rambunctious smirk twisted its way onto his visage and he replied, “Yes. But not here.” 

\--- 

It was a clear night, but perhaps a little chilly for California. Or at least, many of the guests must have thought so, because the courtyard and gardens reserved for the gala were starting to empty. There were large hedges dividing most of the outdoor space as well, so it was very private. Odin briefly looked for Laslow, but didn’t see him. And truthfully, he didn’t care. Niles was leading him through the hedges by his hand and he was way too focused on it to give much more of the world a passing glance. 

It was dark but it was green and it smelled fresh. The music from inside the ballroom was a trickle of sound now, gentle over the grass. They found a spot that was completely vacant beside a pond with a decorative white bridge cresting over it. The surface of the water was silvery with the reflection of a full moon glittering in it. There weren’t a lot of stars, seeing as they were close to the city, but it was still gorgeous. 

“I can’t tell what retains the moon’s brilliance better,” Niles said in that chocolatey smooth voice as they came to a stop at the water’s edge. “The water, or you.” 

Odin melted a little. He couldn’t help it. He wanted to keep some dignity and not let this stranger completely snatch him away, but he was giddy and maybe a little tipsy and he was floating in those crystal blue eyes. He moved closer to Niles and they grasped each other gently, slowly. Then they started dancing. 

It was warm despite the crisp air. Niles wrapped one arm around Odin’s lower back, his other hand holding Odin’s in the air with their fingers interlocked. He gripped Odin tightly, securely, and when he whispered his hot voice prickled at Odin’s hairline. 

“The stars are much brighter at my vineyard,” he hummed. “You should come see them sometime.” 

“Of course,” Odin agreed. “I would love to. I can’t see the stars well in London either, but I have heard tale of how they sparkle in the country.” 

“Who needs the stars in London when you are there,” Niles said, and for a moment Odin thought this would be the moment they kissed, but then he kept talking. “And if they can’t have you, the people will soon have your clothes, which are also quite the imitation.” 

They turned gently to waltz up onto the bridge now, barely keeping in step with the music that they could only kind of hear anyway. Odin smiled at the compliment. “Someday they will. Someday, everyone will know the name Odin Dark. I will pass this brand onto my children and they will continue to pass it on for generations.” 

Niles chuckled and Odin only knew how to take it warmly now. “Your children huh? Already planning that far ahead. I think you’re skipping a few steps. You’re still young.” 

Odin blushed and was thankful that he was pressed mostly into Niles’ hair and shoulder, and that it was dark so that his mild embarrassment could not be seen. “I’m not that young. I’m in my 20’s. If I meet the right person, I think I’m ready to settle down and have a family. Doesn’t it sound nice?” 

“Hmm, I’ve never really given much thought to the idea of kids. But maybe you’re right.” Niles stopped dancing and his grip on Odin’s lower back laxed a little. Odin pushed into it until he was leaning just far enough away that their bodies were still pressed together but they could make eye contact with only a breath of space between their noses. And then Niles hummed, “Maybe with the right person.” 

This time when Odin felt the urge to kiss Niles, he didn’t hesitate or change the subject. He was done waiting. He was burning for this man by now, completely unable to deny his feelings anymore. Perhaps he was tipsy on alcohol, but he was drunk on passion. 

The soft sounds of the party and the music died away at the insistence of their moans. They groped and gripped and kissed and licked and nipped at each other for a long time. And eventually they traded the fresh night sky for the ceiling in Niles’ hotel room. 

Odin pushed back on Niles as he was working on a little purple spot on Odin’s freshly bare shoulder. They were both breathing heavily and Odin was suddenly worried that he was rushing into something that was much bigger than this moment. Because Niles’ touch was electricity and his kisses were fire and they were scorching into his soul. “We’re moving too fast,” he said breathlessly. 

But Niles just smirked and leaned in toward his mouth, purring a gentle, “Well I’m not asking you to marry me.” 

And after that, Odin banished his fears. He couldn’t deny it anymore. He couldn’t keep pushing back. Not when his entire existence was consumed with desire for Niles. So even though it may have appeared to be just a manifestation of lust, and despite the jokes and the playful tone, to Niles and Odin it had the impression of something much more everlasting. 

\--- 

**14 Years (and 9 Months) Later**

Nina didn’t even want to be at camp. Her dad argued that she couldn’t spend all summer cooped up in the house. Of course, this had led to a fight and she had vehemently threatened to run away from any camp he would send her to and hitchhike home and was _that_ what he wanted? But Nina’s dad always won. It was infuriating. In the end, he had shipped her to the farthest possible summer camp, an _all girls camp_ , thousands of miles away on the other side of the country, as if daring her to hitchhike now. And she wouldn’t, of course, but she still didn’t want to be there. It was muggy and it was crowded and there were no boys and she was alone. 

To top it off, her duffel bag was stuck under a mountain of luggage and she couldn’t get it free. Girls around her were socializing, making friends and already gossiping. Grown ups were shouting in megaphones, being absolutely no help in maintaining the chaos. Nina was digging her heels into the mud trying to free an immovable object. 

She was pretty sure no one had even noticed her. Or at least, she thought so, until she felt a gaze boring into her from off to the side. With a huff of frustration, after the sensation didn’t go away for a significant amount of time, Nina dropped the handle on her bag and spun to glare at whoever was staring at her. 

“What’s your problem?” she asked the girl, who towered over Nina a little. Her jaw was slack and her blue eyes were wide with shock. Like Nina was a ghost. 

It took the girl a moment to return from her trance. She glanced over her shoulder at something in the distance, though there was so much happening all around them Nina didn’t care to pinpoint exactly what. When she turned back, she was smiling and Nina thought maybe she looked a little manic. And was she blushing? Or was that just the reflection of the sun and her pink hair? “Uh, nothing,” she said. Her accent was heavily British. Nina had met British people before, at fancy dinner parties that her dad had to attend for business. But they were usually older and more refined that this scrappy looking teenager. “Do you need help?” 

Nina rolled her eyes and said, “It’s impossible. I’ve tried. I think I’ll just wait until everyone else-” 

She didn’t get to finish her sentence because with a sudden fwip her bag was free and the mysterious girl was holding it out to her and beaming. “It’s no problem. Anything for a beautiful damsel in distress.” 

Nina blushed despite herself and narrowed her eyes. She was a little conscious about her looks, her unkempt white braids, dark skin, and contrasting green eyes. She was average height, but pretty thin and often teased for her scrawniness. She didn’t feel beautiful. In comparison, this girl was handsome and well built for her age. She looked like a knight and had no place complementing Nina like that. “I wasn’t in distress. But… Thank you…” 

“My name is Soleil,” the girl started as she handed Nina’s bag back to her. “Are you from around here?” 

“No, and neither are you,” Nina replied a little defensively. 

Soleil laughed, but it was an ugly laugh with at least one full snort thrown in, and it made Nina finally crack a grin. “No, I’m not. I’m from London. How far did you travel?” 

Nina glanced over Soleil one more time with her scrutinizing eye. Ultimately what she found was someone strong and friendly and if she was being honest with herself, she was already lonely. Maybe they could be friends. “California,” she said plainly, opening up just enough. “It’s on the other end of the country. My name is Nina.” 

“California,” Soleil repeated as they moved away from the stack of luggage to an area that looked like they might get some direction on what to do next. “I’ve heard it’s romantic. You’ll have to take me there sometime.” Nina was still blushing. 

A beautiful, petite woman with a fierce red eyes was standing on a log, shouting cabin assignments to the mass of girls through a megaphone. The structure was horrible, but Nina just had to bear with it for a couple of months. And when Soleil’s name was called in the same cabin her own name was in, she thought maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all. At least she wasn’t alone anymore. 

\--- 

“Where did Soleil go?” 

Ophelia looked up from her suitcase at the man standing beside her. His gaze was elsewhere though, scanning the crowds of crazy girls with a pinch of worry on his features. Ophelia looked out at the woods too and took a deep breath. It smelled amazing. Fresh. Nothing like the city. It invigorated her and she didn’t want to waste any more time entertaining this man. She just wanted to go out there and play. 

“It’s alright. I’ll find her later, Uncle Laslow.” 

“This is mildly frightening,” Laslow murmured. “She’s being set loose on an all girls summer camp for two months with little to no adult supervision.” He looked down at Ophelia who was grinning insincerely. “Promise you’ll look after her? You’re probably the only two girls from overseas here and she’s like your sister, right?” 

Ophelia didn’t strictly agree with that statement. Soleil was her dear friend, sure. They had been raised together as long as she could remember. But they didn’t live under the same roof or share clothes or toys or rules or parents. Not to mention they didn’t look related at all. Soleil was fair skinned with rough pink hair and a narrow face. Ophelia was shorter and dark and had soft wavy white locks with large green eyes. In fact, they weren’t related by blood at all, though she called Laslow her uncle for how close he was to her own father. Soleil was her best friend, but Ophelia didn’t truly know what it was like to have a sister. 

Of course, she wasn’t going to unload these musings on the poor, suffering Laslow. And it wasn’t like she was planning on _not_ looking after Soleil, just as Soleil would look after her in turn. Later, at least, when they could find each other again. “Of course I will.” 

Laslow must not have been satisfied with this answer, because in response he stood up straight and held out his right little finger. “Pinky swear,” he said, dead serious. 

Ophelia looked at it, a little taken aback, but grinned after she digested what it meant. Their pinkies connected, and then they were moving, completely in tandem with each other. All with their fingers still connected they tapped their feet together, bumped their hips, spun around in a couple of circles and conducted a sort of handshake above and below their hands with their free ones. Then at the end, they tapped their thumbs together and smiled at each other before releasing. 

“The pact has been sealed!” Ophelia announced. 

“Indeed,” Laslow said, looking much more relaxed now. Ophelia was glad. He had a long flight ahead of him and she didn’t want him to be stiff in the morning. “Well, I suppose I should be off. Be good, alright?” 

“Aye aye, sir!” Ophelia saluted, and then Laslow climbed back into the limo they had arrived in and left. 

Ophelia picked up her suitcase and turned back to the scene of camp below her. Girls running around, laughing, shouting, making friends and acting as wild as the forest around her. She was filled, rather suddenly with a feeling that something very important was going to happen to her here. Her soul was drawn to the trees and the fresh American air. 

She remembered the conversation she had had with her father right before she left. He reminded her that she had been born in this country and that she had a right to explore it. He warned her that even being on American soil might fill her with a sense of destiny that she would not be able to comprehend, but that it was her birthright and it would lead her to grand adventures if she let it. Thinking about how far away he was now made her eyes well up a little, but she brushed the tears away and focused on the legend awaiting her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: The 14 years and 9 months later thing isn't EXACTLY accurate. I will delve more into the timeline as we go and anyone keeping score will find that it's a few months off. BUT I HAD TO make that joke. It's a nod to the 11 Years (And 9 Months) Later joke from the movie WHICH BY THE WAY is also inaccurate bc Hallie and Annie's birthday is October 11th (and they're, ya know, at summer camp. in the summer.) so it's about 4 months off. But. U know. Details.


	2. Do You Believe in Magic?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Camp chapter!! Not much to say except this one is all about those good good girls and their emotions. :) Enjoy!!

Camp Deep Realms was in a beautiful location. Surrounded by wilderness, secluded from civilization, with access to mountains and lakes and all kinds of outdoors activities. The first full day of camp was shaping up to be a beautiful one too, not a cloud in the sky, girls running between cabins and trees searching for ways to fill their free activity time. There were so many children, surely there were some that were bothered by the outdoorsy setting and were cooped up in their rooms, but Ophelia could not be bothered by them. She was in her element.

Despite the blood pact, which was _binding_ , Ophelia didn’t see Soleil for the remainder of drop off day. She got set up in a bunk with five strange girls that she quickly befriended. Then she made some more quick friends at dinner and even more at the opening ceremony. There were so many girls, Ophelia didn’t even think to look for the only one she knew outside of camp. 

It wasn’t until that following morning when Ophelia was wandering the grounds thinking about which of the many activities she wanted to try that her best friend and fellow countryman finally approached her. She was bursting with some sort of rare excitement. 

“Ophelia, thank goodness! I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” Soleil cried as she rushed up to her friend. 

Ophelia looked up from the schedule in her hands and beamed. “Soleil! I trust you’ve found camp well? I’m having the time of my life!” 

“I’ll bet you are. Listen, though, there’s someone here you have to meet. I’m not kidding this is going to blow your mind!” 

“Is it a new girlfriend of yours?” Ophelia cracked. 

“Har har, very funny. You know you’re the only girl for me. The only substitute would be if, oh I don’t know, you had a twin or something.” 

There was something incredibly mischievous in the way Soleil said this that made Ophelia prickle with curiosity. What she said wasn’t just an offhand comment, it was leading into something, hinting at a secret she was harboring. 

“Okay,” Ophelia said slowly, suspiciously. “Well, I’m not doing anything in particular right now. Take me to this person.” 

They raced. Ophelia loved the cool, slightly damp morning breeze on her dark skin. The moisture crumpled her naturally wavy silver hair frizzing it a little. There was mud on her shoes and dirt in her nails and she felt free. 

After a short dash, Soleil came to a stop in front of a wooden platform where girls were lined up to fence. They arrived just in time to watch one masked contestant defeat another handily. Ophelia’s excitement flared watching the skillful move it took to disarm the loser. 

“Ms. Zero, undefeated champ everybody!” the camp instructor overseeing the event announced to the winning fencer, whose back was turned to Soleil and Ophelia. Her pride was clear in her broad stance and triumphant fist in the air. 

“Oh, I get it!” Ophelia said to her friend as she moved around the platform to get suited up. “You brought me here to test this champion because you know I’ve been practicing my sword play! You’re such an observant friend, Soleil.” 

“No, wait, Ophelia-” Soleil cried out, but she was already pulling on a helmet. 

“Any more challengers?” the instructor called. 

“I would like to give it a go!” Ophelia announced through her mesh mask as she picked up a sword. 

The defending champion turned to face Ophelia at that moment, and even though she couldn’t see the girl’s face she felt the pressure of competition weigh down around her. It was invigorating. 

“Alright girls,” the instructor said happily. “Have a good match.” 

Ophelia was good at fencing. It wasn’t her main extra curricular, but it was one her dad had always valued and therefore pushed her to practice. And she enjoyed it. The precision, the strategy, the control. She loved the feeling of her hands and feet moving and stepping exactly where she told them to. She loved to see a well thought out plan bear the expected response from her opponent. 

She also loved the connection to her opponent. Fencing was an entire conversation between two competitors who didn’t speak a word to each other. And through this conversation, Ophelia was learning a lot. Her opponent was agile, but reckless. She made semi-frequent small mistakes. They would imperceptible to a casual onlooker, but Ophelia saw them and tried to take advantage of them when she could. The girl was so fast though, it was often hard to predict where she was going next. And after a few exchanges, Ophelia decided that some, if not all, of her weird, non-fatal mistakes were probably on purpose. In order to win, Ophelia realized, she was going to have to take it to the next level. She was going to harness the power that her father had passed on to her. The mighty Sword Hand. 

Despite its name, it was not just the hand with which you held a sword. It was deeper than that, much more mystical and legendary. Ophelia’s father often described it as being linked to a twitching sensation. It was an inherent sense, and should she chose to harness it she could win any battle. So Ophelia dug deep. She searched for that twitch. And there it was. 

With a lunge, Ophelia lashed out at her opponent. They had been trapped in a back and forth shuffle for a while, and this caught a gasp from the audience. Ophelia had almost forgotten about them, but their reaction spurred her on. The girl was fast, but she was faster. She pushed her to the back of the platform and then, with a loud battle cry, landed a hit. 

Or so she thought. 

The tip of her sword plunked into a tree that suddenly sprouted where her opponent had been. She’d gone down, and Ophelia heard a little crack of laughter from behind her helmet. She thought fast, and had to, because a second later the girl swiped her sword upwards. Ophelia jumped out of the way and then they were exchanging and blocking blows even faster than they had before. Ophelia had to back up. Her sword hand was shaking for real and she thought she was losing her edge. But then there it was. An opening. Clear as day, and she had a split second to take it. 

“Nina!” came a voice from the crowd. A very particular voice. Soleil's voice. Ophelia stumbled at hearing it and, involuntarily, twisted to see what her friend was doing. Ophelia was good at fencing but Soleil was _fantastic_ at fencing. If someone was about to win or lose, she would have been able to see it from the sidelines. Why did she shout another girl’s name when Ophelia was just about to make an attack? Was she cheering for the other person? 

This window of hesitation, though it was slight, was just enough for her opponent. She felt a little prick on her shoulder and everything stopped. Ophelia looked up the sword, bent slightly as it pushed against her, into the anonymous face of her vanquisher. 

The instructor blew her whistle and that was it. “That was amazing girls! Thank you for putting on a wonderful last match. Alright, it’s almost time for lunch, pack up.” 

Ophelia had lost. The dissatisfaction burned in her, though she had always been taught to be a good sport. She lifted up her hands to remove her helmet at the same time her opponent did, planning to swallow her pride and shake her hand. 

She felt her white hair cascade down her back and watched as two long white braids did the same across from her. As Ophelia’s gaze followed the familiar hair up to the girl’s face, her world slowed down. 

There wasn’t a mirror in front of her, just a girl. A girl with the exact same nose as her, the same cheeks as her, the same dark skin and green eyes, the same height, same little piece of hair that arched toward the sky growing from their hair part. They were identical in a way that was too freaky to be a coincidence. 

The two girls were still, completely transfixed on each other, their handshake forgotten. They wore identical expressions, jaws slack, eyes wide. The group of onlookers around them, the instructor and Soleil, were all as silent as the dead. Finally, the other girl said, “Whoa.” 

If she was feeling shock, then Ophelia was feeling something much more malicious. Her disappointment from losing and her betrayal from Soleil that caused the former came together. Superstition and suspicion boiled inside of her so fiercely that her response to a simple ‘whoa’ was a hissed, “Doppleganger.” 

Still shocked and unable to read Ophelia’s degree of severity, the other girl started to say, “Uh, yeah, this is-” 

“This is a curse,” Ophelia muttered. “And I’m not going to let you take my place. Not when I’m just getting started on my vacation.” 

The girl closed her mouth and narrowed her eyes at Ophelia. “Wait, what? Take your place? I’m not… I don’t even want to be here.” 

“Of course I don’t believe you,” Ophelia shot back. Her volume climbed to a typical Ophelia range. “There can only be one. Well you picked a fight with the wrong girl, demon. I’m a talented sorceress and I will find a way to break your spell!” 

“Wha- Are you serious?!” the other shouted, anger replacing all of her initial shock. Whether or not she understood what Ophelia was implying was unclear, but she was certainly offended by it. 

Soleil hopped up onto the platform and stepped between the two look-alikes, facing her oldest friend with the body language of someone approaching a wolf. “Ophelia,” she said in a calming voice. “You need to calm down. This is the person I wanted to show you. It’s not bad magic it’s just…” Soleil twisted her body and looked between the two. The were horrifically similar and now also wore the same heated expression. She seemed to struggle with how to finish her sentence, but finally let out a light, “Some crazy coincidence.” 

“This is no coincidence,” Ophelia maintained. “This is magic. Dark magic. And I’m going to prove it. Even if it takes me all summer.” 

\--- 

One morning at breakfast, Nina felt a little prick in the back of her head. She turned around to find Ophelia standing there, looking at her with those wide, green eyes that bore nothing but the intent to harm and holding one long white hair in her fingers. And that was the last straw. 

“Can I help you?!” Nina yelled at her. 

Ophelia quickly shoved the hair into her pocket but kept her glare fixed on Nina. “I would never accept aid from the likes of you. I now I have all I need to prove that you are an evil spirit.” 

Nina stood up and a short radius out from where the girls were sitting hushed. Palpable rage was shared between them, though Nina thought hers was the only one justified. She had done nothing to this lunatic other than beat her fair and square in a fencing match. 

“If you ever come near me again, I’ll-” 

Nina was cut off when head counselor Corrin, who had been clued in to a potential confrontation, appeared between them. She was small, but she had intimidating red eyes and sharp features. And though she was well known around camp as a generally kind and understanding person, the girls were also weary of her military background and her willingness to implement that style of discipline if need be 

“Mind telling me what’s going on here?” she asked in a soft voice, contrasting with her narrowed eyes. She was her own good cop/bad cop act. 

“This lunatic won’t leave me alone,” Nina interjected quickly. 

“On the contrary,” Ophelia said, cutting in with her posh british accent that made Nina want to strangle her. “Nina Zero is an antagonist and I was simply taking precautions to assure that she could not carry out any nefarious deeds for the remaining weeks of camp.” 

“Nefarious- Clearly this chick is insane! I’m not doing anything wrong!” 

“Insane?! I’m the only one around here using my-” 

“All you’ve been doing is following me around like you-” 

“You would fault a girl for following her most basic-” 

“Girls!” Corrin yelled and they both stilled. They were a few inches away from each other now, screaming into identical faces. They deflated, under the weight of adult expectations. “I expect better from Deep Realm campers. Now, I’m sure this can all just be chalked up to cultural differences. If you can’t handle it, I suggest you stay away from each other. I will not tolerate fighting in my camp. Is that clear?” 

“Yes ma’am.” 

“Crystal.” Nina stood up. She didn’t have the appetite to finish her food anyway and if her stalker was being literally ordered to stay away from her, then it was the best case scenario. As much as Nina wanted to stand and argue that she was doing nothing wrong, she was also exhausted and wanted a nap. 

Fortunately it was a free day for activities, so that was plausible. The cabin was empty and dark, only natural light filtered in through the windows. Her bunkmates were all out still eating breakfast or getting a head start on their activities. It was a sunny day and a lot of girls were talking about swimming or kayaking. Nina had been invited and was thinking about it, but now all she wanted was some alone time. 

Emotionally exhausted and still a little bit hungry, Nina flopped down on her bed. She thought about writing to her dad about what a terrible time she was having and that if he didn’t pull her she would actually try to hitchhike across the entire country. 

There was a soft knock at the door just as she was wondering exactly what was keeping her, and a head topped with unruly pink hair poked in. Soleil had no reason to knock on the door to her own room, but she did, and she entered cautiously. Her presence was starting to grow familiar, and imbued Nina with a strange sense of week old nostalgia that made her feel like maybe camp still had a chance. 

“Nina, I’m sorry,” Soleil started, standing just a couple of feet away from where Nina was laying down, fidgeting with her hands. “Ophelia is… I think she just misses home. In her own way. She’s never spent this much time away from her family.” 

“I don’t know how you tolerate her,” Nina murmured. “She’s crazy and annoying. And you’ve known her your whole life? That’s rough.” 

Soleil crossed the room, welcomed by the exchange of conversation. “She’s not that bad. She’s actually quite fun when you get to know her.” 

Nina scoffed. “Weird idea of fun you got there.” 

There was a pause, then, “You want to take a walk? Everyone is down at the pond. The hiking trails are just as empty as this room, but there’s fresh air involved.” 

Deep in her soul, Nina knew she didn't actually want to go for a walk. She wanted to stay cooped up in her bunk as long as it was empty and maybe write something. But Soleil offered a hand that looked strong in its calluses and comforting in its warmth. She put her fingers in it and let herself be led from the cabin. 

The sounds of splashing and shouting could be heard from the lake which was down the hill from where the cabins sat. Not many would want to go on a hike in the unfiltered sun, but Nina was less suffocated by the weather than she was the constant presence of girls. Soleil was different, of course. Soleil was strong and chivalrous and handsome. Maybe Nina had gravitated toward her initially because of these perceived masculine traits, but she was still a girl which made her easy to talk to. 

The trees provided some unexpected shade as they walked one in front of the other up a narrow hiking trail. It wasn’t extreme labor, but was in fact rather relaxing. The forest smelled good, the strain of her calf muscles pumped endorphins into her brain, the sounds of birds and critters living all around her almost completely undisturbed soothed her. She focused on the tail of Soleil’s shirt, just a little below eye level in front of her as they ascended. Nina didn’t like complete isolation, but she appreciated this, being alone in the middle of nowhere with just one person she trusted. And she felt a little pang of guilt from stealing this person from perhaps more desirable activities. 

“Soleil,” she started in a low voice, letting her self-deprecating curiosity get the better of her. “She’s your best friend… Isn’t she mad at you for hanging out with me?” 

“It’s a little bit more complicated than that,” Soleil said. “I think she feels bad for rejecting me a couple of years ago.” 

Nina fumbled with this information. It supplied her with a lot of new or previously denied emotions that she was not ready to deal with. She was glad Soleil was walking in front of her and couldn’t read her expression. “She rejected you? Like, uh, in what way?” 

“Like in the romantic way. I asked her out. To be my girlfriend.” 

“O-Oh,” Nina said, and she could kick herself for not responding with something more substantial. 

“I’m sorry,” Soleil said, her voice softer than it had been. “Did you not know? That I’m gay?” 

“No, it’s…” Nina struggled with how to answer right away. Did she know Soleil was interested in girls? Not strictly. But she would have been lying if she said she hadn’t considered it. She shook her head, again thankful that she was the one in back. “It’s not a big deal. Sorry. But uh, anyway, you and… her huh?” 

Soleil chuckled. It injected a lightness back into the atmosphere that lifted Nina’s chin up. Soleil’s mess of pink hair was framed by the sun peeking over the top of the hill they were scaling, like she was wreathed in purity. 

“I tried,” Soleil said. She stopped walking at the top of the hill and turned to Nina. “When we were younger, I thought she was the only person on the planet. But she didn’t reciprocate and I moved on.” 

Nina stopped walking too, frozen in place by her view. She could feel the sun warming her cheeks. “That’s good,” she said. Then she swallowed after a beat and added, “That you’re happy?” 

“I am.” 

Nina didn’t know which words to use next, and for a moment she was fine with not using any. She looked at Soleil, and then together they looked out over the hill they had reached the top of into the forest. The world was tranquil on their behalf, as their young emotions bucked around in uncertain entropy. 

“W-We should go back,” Nina said when she finally realized how close Soleil’s face was. How close their souls were. Nina forced her body to turn around suddenly and jaunted back down the path with Soleil’s chuckling following her. 

For that blessed moment, with just Soleil and the wilderness, Nina had forgotten her feud with Ophelia. Fortunately, all of it came rushing back to her when she arrived back at her bunk and flung open the door to find her mirror image sitting on her bed with her very personal journals open around her. 

The warmth Nina had felt just a moment ago was replaced with an icy hatred. “What are you doing?” she breathed, barely conscious of Soleil’s presence behind her. 

Ophelia looked up at her with wide green eyes, eyes that would have been too much like her own if they reflected her emotions back at her. As it was though, they threw back shock, confusion, and a hint of curiosity. Stark contrasts to Nina’s pure rage. 

Ophelia, knowing she had been caught, leapt from the journals as if they were on fire. “Um, it’s Nina, yes? I need to-” 

Nina didn’t need or want the excuse Ophelia was in the middle of giving her. She had asked a question, but that question required no answer other than her fist connecting with Ophelia’s face. And Soleil couldn’t grab her in time. 

Nina screamed in rage. Ophelia screamed in pain. And at that exact moment, head counselor Corrin stepped into the cabin to scream at them both, dampening the chaos with a blanket of horrified silence. The girls looked her, Nina with journals in her protective arms and Ophelia with a hand over her damaged eye. 

A crowd gathered behind Soleil outside the open door of the cabin. The world was still and every ear in the universe was tuned in as Corrin said, in a chillingly calm tone, “Pack your bags, girls.” 

\--- 

Nina and Ophelia’s punishment for their constant arguing was something Corrin called ‘the isolation cabin’. Just the name alone was ominous, and the hike it took to get there was no help. They marched within the hour, the entire camp of girls thirsty for some real life drama following them with a whistled tune. 

Soleil marched the closest, just behind head counselor Corrin, a cloud of worry consuming her. She was the only bystander who didn’t have her lips pursed in mockery. Ophelia stole a look over her shoulder once, through her good eye. Her other one was still shut tight in pain. The medics of the camp had looked at it before their departure. The eye itself was not damaged, but it was surely bruised. Still, she had been deemed well enough to be punished for her part of invading someone’s privacy. 

It was out of her good eye that she watched her old friend, watched the haunting cabin appear on the horizon, and, when she had gleaned all she could from those sources, stole glances at her adversary. 

Nina wouldn’t pay her the same curiosity. Her brow was furrowed in anger. Her glass-eyed gaze was trained at the ground in front of her. Her knuckles, clutching her hurriedly packed duffle bag, were flushed. 

Finally the march reached its end. They were standing at the bottom of a set of wooden stairs that led up to the front door of the cabin. It was rickety, dark brown with neglect, and placed on precarious stilts above them. 

Head counselor Corrin turned to the gaggle of girls that had come to a halt and said into her megaphone, in a voice too sweet for someone bringing criminals to justice, “Okay everyone, enough of that, please go back to your activities!” 

The hoard dispersed in raucous cheering and gossip. Everyone except Soleil turned and ran back down the path to the main campgrounds. Soleil shuffled on her feet for a moment, avoiding the weighted gaze Corrin gave her. Then she rushed toward the punished girls, gave Ophelia a hug and murmured “I’ll be back later to check on you,” in her ear. It made Ophelia’s heart swell, knowing that her best friend hadn’t abandoned her. She wasn’t even jealous when Soleil and Nina exchanged pained looks of their own, and her friend patted the stranger on the head soothingly before dashing away. 

“Here are the terms,” Corrin said in a level tone, now that the three of them were alone. “For the remainder of camp you two will live together, eat together, and play together. Until you can learn to get along, you will not be allowed to be apart. If I see anymore signs of _physical_ violence,” she sent a pointed look in Nina’s direction. “I’ll send you both home early. We clear?” 

“Yes ma’am,” the girls said simultaneously in matching monotones. 

Corrin looked between them for a second and then sighed. “I understand this situation is a little… weird for you two. The whole… look alike thing. And your knee jerk reaction was to dislike each other. But I have a feeling if you get to know each other, you’ll find out you have a lot more in common than your appearances.” She smiled. “I’m hopeful that you two will leave Camp Deep Realms having learned something about judging people by how they look. You can have the rest of the night to think about that and unpack. See you at dinner.” 

The Corrin left, and it was just Nina and Ophelia alone on a hill underneath their manifested isolation. 

Nina didn’t say anything to Ophelia. She pushed passed her adversary and flung open the door of the cabin. It smelled of mildew and dust. The air was thick with it and the heavy tension that hung between them. 

The day passed by in grueling long minutes. Ophelia bit her lip to the point of ripping skin off in agitation. She had never been so afraid of breaking silence as she was with Nina laying on the cot across the room from her, completely ignoring her. The anxiety she felt was new for her and she didn’t like it. The only thing keeping her sane was the hope that Soleil was going to try to sneak to the isolation cabin after sunset. But then it started to rain. 

Ophelia stood in front of the screen door of the cabin, watching the deluge with mournful eyes. She sighed audibly and said, “I suppose it isn’t worth going out for dinner. Camp is too far away. I’ll have to use some of my stored snacks and take supper in here.” 

“I don’t care what you do,” Nina said from across the room. It almost startled Ophelia, who had only spoken because she forgot for a second that she wasn’t completely alone. 

Ophelia turned and watched her ‘nemesis’ curl deeper into the book she was reading. It looked like one of the journals she had handwritten. Ophelia felt a pang of guilt. She had a lot to confess, and if the stifling silence was broken, she was eager to begin. 

“I owe you an apology,” she said quietly. She walked away from the door and sat down on her bunk, which creaked below her. It was on the opposite side of the small cabin from Nina. They were facing each other now. 

Nina flickered her gaze over the top of the journal, an eyebrow raised in distrust. “Oh? Really? An apology for a monster like me?” 

Ophelia groaned loudly and covered her face with her hands in shame. “I don’t think you’re a monster!” she cried between her fingers. “I’m sorry for accusing you of crimes you didn’t commit!” She let her hands fall away and their gazes met. She felt emboldened to continue. “This morning, I consulted my tarot cards with the piece of your hair I collected-” 

Nina cut her off with a scoff. “Oh this is gonna be good.” 

“Please let me finish,” Ophelia begged. “I know it might sound silly to you, but it is very serious to me.” 

“As serious my privacy was when you snuck into my bunk and read my journals?” Nina bit back. 

“Yes, exactly,” Ophelia urged, not discouraged. “See, the cards told me that I had misread a situation. That if someone new had come into my life, they were important and that I needed to trust them. But even then, I wouldn’t believe it. So I snuck into your bunk and read your journals… And even though that was awful thing of me to do, I learned that you are a unique individual. You’re talented and creative, nothing like myself, and therefore you couldn’t possibly be a doppelganger. And so,” Ophelia took a deep breath. “For my ill first impression, for my sneaking into your personal belongings, and for antagonizing you since the day we met… I’m sorry. Will you forgive me?” 

For a moment, Nina’s face was unreadable. She had put the journal down and was glaring at Ophelia, but it wasn’t with the same fire that had possesed her when she socked Ophelia in the eye. It was something more curious, and gentle in its own way. 

Ultimately, after some time of staring at each other, Nina stood up and walked toward the door of the cabin. Ophelia sighed, sure that this meant she wasn’t going to get her redemption. But Nina paused, looked at the rain beyond the screen, and shut the big door. She turned to Ophelia with her hands on her hips. “I’ll forgive you if you make it up to me,” she said. “Did you say something about snacks? I don’t wanna go through the rain to get dinner either.” 

Ophelia _beamed_. She bounced off of her bunk with newfound energy and rustled through her partially unpacked bag. “My papa sent these to me,” She extracted a package of cookies with a noise of triumph and plopped down on the floor in front of her bunk. Then she beamed up at Nina. “Do you like Oreos?” 

Finally, Nina cracked a grin. She took a seat across from Ophelia, sitting with her legs crossed, and reached into the bag. “These are my favorite,” she admitted quietly before taking a bite. After a beat of hesitant silence, she continued, “That’s pretty cool of your dad to send these. I’ll probably get a care package soon, but there won’t be any Oreos in it. There’s an all out war at my house about the correct way to eat them.” 

Ophelia swallowed what she was munching on. “How do you eat Oreos controversially?” 

Nina shook her head, obviously in as much disbelief over the issue as Ophelia, a complete outsider, was. “My dad is a purist. He won’t even double stuff or dunk in milk, let alone what I do.” 

“Which is…?” Ophelia was trying not to let her eagerness boil over too much. She wanted to learn more about Nina. Barriers were breaking right in front of her, and she had a sledgehammer tight in her grasp. 

“Okay,” Nina started sheepishly, twirling a cookie between her fingers. “Don’t laugh… But I like to eat them with peanut butter.” 

Ophelia had a million thoughts at once at this admission. But the dominant one took over her body. She twisted around to her open duffle and pulled out a half eaten jar of Skippy. “A part of me was hoping you would say that,” Ophelia said quietly, handing over the peanut butter like a sacred offering. “But I have to admit, I didn’t think it was likely.” 

Nina took the jar and looked at Ophelia with wide eyes. “No one has ever sided with me on this issue before.” 

The jar was popped open and cookies were dipped. After each girl had a bite of their shared favorite snack, Ophelia felt brave enough to pick up the conversation again. She was almost shaking with excitement for how unexpectedly well this was going. “Your superior taste must come from somewhere in your lineage. What about your mother?” 

Nina chewed on her cookie a little longer than necessary. Perhaps it was especially sticky in the corners of her mouth, but she grimaced in a way that made Ophelia believe she wasn't just struggling with eating. Sure enough, after a swallow, she admitted, “I don’t really have a mom, so…” 

Ophelia’s heart sunk. Of course, just as things were going well, she had to pour salt into what was probably an eternally fresh wound. First the journals, now this. Ophelia was shocked at her own insensitivity. “Oh, Nina, I’m so sorry,” she said quickly. “I didn’t know. Were you close, or-? That’s a silly question of course you probably were, she was your mother and-” 

“Oh, god, Ophelia, no, it’s nothing like that,” Nina said through a little half hearted chuckle. “It’s not like I had a mom and then she died or something. I never had a mom in the first place. I mean, I’m sure I came from somewhere but, well, my dad was married to another man when I was born.” 

Ophelia blinked in astonishment for a moment. “So you have… two fathers?” 

Once again, they were back to the furrowed brow as Nina went on the defensive. “Look, I don’t know how it is in _your country_ but here in AMERICA it’s PERFECTLY normal for two men to love each other the same way any straight couple would! And, honestly, if you’re asking for my opinion, it’s even a little bit better because-” 

“No, no, oh goodness, it’s fine with me,” Ophelia cut in, giggling a little. “I’m not judging, I promise. I was just shocked. My family is the same way, you see.” 

Nina blushed. “Oh… Wait really?” 

Ophelia nodded emphatically. “Yes! I also have two fathers! Or at least, that’s what Papa tells me. I’ve never met my other father. They got a divorce when I was very little. It must be nice, having both of your parents around?” 

“I…” Nina looked away, suddenly embarrassed. “I don’t. My parents also divorced when I was a baby. All I have left of my other dad is a picture. Something I swiped from Dad after the one singular time I was able to squeeze anything other than vague details about it out of him.” 

There was a crack of thunder and the windows around the cabin lit up from the immediate lightning. The pouring rain continued to slam against their tin roof, filling up the silence that fell between them. To many people, thunder was ominous. But to Ophelia, it was a sign of fate, and her heart was beating so hard against her rib cage, she was sure it was trying to compete with the storm outside. 

“Nina,” she said quietly, her eyes wide and shimmering in anticipation. “This is going to sound entirely random, but when is your birthday?” 

Nina was in the process of eating another Oreo, seemingly undisturbed by the forces moving around them. “January 31st,” she murmured through a mouthful of peanut butter. 

Ophelia’s heart damn near stopped. “That’s my birthday too. I’m 14.” 

“Hmm, me too,” Nina said, finally looking up at her. “That’s weird, isn’t it?” 

“It’s not just weird, Nina! Don’t you see what’s happening here? This is destiny! We both have two fathers, only we’ve both met just one of them. You’ve got a picture of the father you never met, as do I. Though yours is probably great quality,” Ophelia diminished the inflection in her rant only a little as she thought about the portrait currently nestled in her duffle. She had taken it to camp, of course. Having just come into possession of it a few months ago, she didn’t want to forget her other father’s face in the eight weeks she was to be away from home. Her papa in England did not know she had it. “Mine was crumpled up in the back of a sock drawer and ripped on one side almost as if it was split right down the middle.” 

Nina swallowed her cookie heavily, then silently stood and crossed the room to her duffle. She hadn’t started to unpack it, as if the Nina of a few hours ago still refused to believe that she was stuck here. It was strange how just one conversation and some snacks could change things almost completely. 

When Nina turned back around, she was clutching a piece of paper to her chest. The white back of the photo was all Ophelia could see, but her eyes focused on the ripped edge. The contours of the tear were all too familiar. Her heart was pounding as she retrieved her photo too, her mysterious father’s face pressed to her chest protectively. 

They both knew what was about to happen. The pictures were the same size, had identical tears. That much was obvious just by looking. They didn’t need to reveal them and put them together to figure out what they both already knew. But they did. Nina was silent and Ophelia let out a little gasp as the tears came together like a puzzle that hadn’t been put together in over a decade. 

The two men in the picture were looking at each other. They were smiling so brightly, perhaps they were even in the middle of laughter. They looked so handsome in their suits, one simple and black and the other shining silver, designer. Wine glasses clinked right at the tear’s edge, a toast to the wonderful night they must have been having. 

They were young, but they were unmistakable. On the picture in Nina’s hands was Ophelia’s papa. And on the one in Ophelia’s hand- 

“That’s my dad,” Nina breathed. 

“And that’s mine,” Ophelia said just as quietly. He was a man with a happy demeanor, but Ophelia found herself growing emotional over the expression he wore. She had never seen him look so bright as he did in that photo, looking at the man with starlight hair and a coy grin. The man Nina called dad. 

Nina looked up at Ophelia. Their eyes met and Nina’s were watering. Ophelia wondered if she was having the same thoughts as her. She wiped a tear away before it even had time to fall. “So… If we have the same parents, and we have the same birthday… This whole look-alike thing probably isn’t a coincidence, huh?” Nina said, her voice shaky. “Are we… are we sisters?” 

Ophelia nodded, her unsteady hand wiping away her own tears too as they flowed freely down her cheeks. “We’re more than just sisters, Nina… We’re _twins_!” 

Now they were both openly sobbing. They dropped the pictures in favor of holding each other. Their identical white hair smothered beneath identical dark fingers. They had been fools for ignoring it this long. Fate had dragged them together, and now they were reluctant to let go. 

\--- 

Exhausted from the overwhelming rush of emotions, Nina and Ophelia slept in the next day. They skipped breakfast and laid in their beds which they had pushed together, curled toward each other with the picture of their parents taped together and laying on the pillow between them. Even long after they woke up, they didn’t move. They just stayed there and whispered to each other like there was a need for it, talking about their lives. 

“He’s a pretty famous fashion designer actually,” Ophelia said quietly, though Nina could tell she was proud. “Lately he’s done a lot of red carpet looks for celebrities overseas. I’m a little surprised you haven’t heard of him, especially because you live in California of all places.” 

Nina shrugged. “I live in Nappa, it’s a bit far from Hollywood or anything like that. Dad owns a vineyard.” 

“Wow! Does that mean you have a lot of land?” Ophelia asked wistfully. 

“Oh yeah, we’re completely out in the open. You can’t even see our nearest neighbors from the porch. Sometimes tourists come through, but most of the time at the house it’s just Dad and me. And the people who work for us. And his old boss who stops by all the time to check on us. But we have a ranch with like horses and stuff so people get pretty spread out.” 

“That’s so interesting. We live in the city, in London. Our home is pretty big relatively speaking but with Papa and Grandma and me, and Uncle Laslow and Soleil stopping by all the time, it gets pretty crowded.” Ophelia paused, then said, “We’ve lived completely different lives this entire time.” 

“It’s a little messed up, isn’t it?” Nina’s eyebrows furrowed at the picture of their parents. “Stay married just long enough to decide to bring children into the world, then split and each take one, never telling them that they have a sister on the other side of the world.” Nina shook her head. “We are going to have some serious words when I get home, Dad and me. This is going to be an argument for the books, for sure.” 

Ophelia gulped. “Is he… Is.. Dad… mean?” 

Nina propped herself up on her elbow. She sensed the serious tone in her sister’s voice and her heart sank a little. She had made a grave mistake. “No. Oh, god no, Ophelia. I’m sorry. I mean, we fight, but most of the time it’s my fault? I’m a little rotten, and I know it, and I push him a lot. But… he’s a really good dad. Like… He’s incredible actually.” 

Ophelia sighed, the relief in her body language not lost on Nina. “Thank goodness,” she said, touching the photo of her dad lightly with her fingers. “Because I would really like to meet him one day.” 

Nina followed her lead and glanced at the picture of her other father too. He was sunshine, even through the lense of a camera and the past. Her Papa. That’s what Ophelia called him. And she, also, really wanted to meet him. She wanted to meet the man who’d had a hand in her creation. 

“Yeah… Me too,” she said slowly, unaware that a thought was dawning on her. 

A brief moment of silence stretched between them, and then Nina sat up suddenly. Her mind was catching up to the wild idea, but her senses were still numb. Ophelia sat up beside her, worried. “Nina? You alright?” 

“I really am rotten…” Nina whispered. Ophelia raised an eyebrow. Then Nina was turning on her, grabbing her shoulder as if to brace her. 

“Okay,” she hissed, as if she were at a loss for breath. “Don’t freak out. But I just had the craziest idea in the whole world. Like, insane. But just insane enough that we might be able to pull it off?” 

A normal person would have probably been concerned at this sudden rambling, but not Ophelia. She rolled her shoulders back and narrowed her eyes, ready for a challenge. “Tell me.” 

“You wanna meet Dad, right? And I wanna meet Papa so badly. Let's switch places!” Ophelia gasped, but Nina couldn’t feel discouraged. This was too good. She kept going. “After camp, you go to California pretending to me and I’ll go to freaking Europe pretending to be you! We’re _identical_ , Ophelia! We have a few weeks and with some practice… I bet we can pull it off!” 

Ophelia’s picked up the taped photo of their parents and looked between the faces of the two men. There were tears in her eyes again and for a horrified moment, Nina thought she was going to refuse. 

“You know,” she said through a cracked voice, sniffling back the tears valiantly. “In this picture… It looks like they really love each other. And Papa he’s so… Lonely. Is Dad lonely?” 

Nina followed her train of thought easily. Only now was she starting to notice the uncanny connection they shared, something that had been buried within her all her life. “Extremely,” she responded. “He wouldn’t tell me to my face but… He hasn’t been serious with anyone ever since I can remember. And not for a lack of trying. But the expression he has when he talks about that relationship is really sad. He’s never quite gotten over it.” 

“If we switch,” Ophelia said, a grin prickling at the corner of her mouth. “Eventually they’ll have to unswitch us. And they’ll have to meet again…” 

The twins looked at each other, and their smiles were mirrors of each other. To see their parents as happy as they were in that photo… It was worth it. 

The silent agreement was suddenly shattered by a sharp knock on the front door of the cabin. 

“Hello?” Came the voice of the silhouette outside. “Are you two alive in there? You weren’t at dinner last night and this morning I haven’t seen-” 

“Oh no,” Ophelia hissed, letting unmistakable voice of her best friend ramble on the other side of the door. “Soleil.” 

Nina’s eyes widened in horror. “She’ll know right away, won’t she? We won’t make it out of camp.” 

Ophelia looked at the door, at her friend’s silhouette. Then she looked Nina up and down, and devilish grin crossed her face. “I guess we’ll just have to convince her to help us.” 

\--- 

“It’s not very heroic to be sneaking around like this,” Ophelia hissed at Nina as they crept along the side of a cabin. 

Nina just grinned back at her. “Of course it’s not. But if you’re going to be me, you have to stop trying to be so noble all the time. I’m _awful_. I mean I got into a fist fight at summer camp for christs sake. And, honestly, it's exactly what Dad is expecting me to do.” 

Ophelia groaned, though not too loudly, desperately afraid of attracting attention. It was the dead of night and no one was going to catch them, but she was still fearful. “Why do you do things like this?” 

“Because,” Nina said, still grinning. “I’m rotten. I’m your rotten sister with a rotten plan to switch places and a rotten idea of how to get it done. Now stop freaking out. I’ll be right here keeping watch.” 

Ophelia sighed and turned back to the window that was directly above her. This was harder than convincing Soleil to cooperate with their elaborate plan. But that wasn’t saying much. Once Soleil understood that the twins switching places meant that she was going to get to spend more time after camp with her new obsession, she had _volunteered_ to help. Yes, breaking into the head counselor’s office in the middle of the night was MUCH harder than getting Soleil on her side. 

Nina had spent the past week teaching Ophelia how to pick locks. Apparently it was an essential part of Nina’s character to get into places she wasn’t supposed to. They had been practicing on suitcase locks and the the lock to their cabin door. Now was the big test. 

It made Ophelia feel a little slimy. She wasn’t used to being sneaky. She was loud and honest. This was completely counterintuitive to every habit she had and everything she had ever been taught. But her desire to meet her dad overwhelmed all of her opposition. She took a deep breath and took out the picks Nina had given her. 

The lock on the window was not traditional. She stuck her tongue between her teeth to brace herself as she jimmied the two wires up and down in the round keyhole. After a few seconds of sweating, just as she was about to give up and run to Nina, she heard a little satisfying pop, and the window bounced against its frame. 

She tried to contain her excitement. It was important for thieves to be quiet and manage their emotions. Nina had told her that when she was on a job, especially if she was sneaking into her Dad’s room to take something (as she did frequently) she had to be on her guard and not let out the slightest breath. 

Ophelia pocketed her picks again and slid the window open slowly. Almost too slowly, but then again it didn’t creak at all, so perhaps just slow enough. Then, resisting the urge to look back at Nina who was probably vigilantly watching her from the shadows, she jumped up into the office. 

It was dark and musty inside. Darker than it was outside where the moon had at least given her some clarity. For a moment, Ophelia just had to stand there and let her eyes adjust, praying that she wouldn’t find out she had company when they did. Again, she had to withhold a sigh of relief. It was completely empty. 

She tiptoed to the filing cabinets and cursed her luck. They were also locked. She got out the wires again, hoping that picking a file cabinet was similar to a window. Sure enough, the metal drawer hissed open at her command. 

She pushed through the files, again with her tongue between her teeth, before she found Nina’s in the very back. She tried not to read too much information on the other girls at camp while she snooped. She may be a thief, but this was for a good cause and the confidentiality of uninvolved civilians still mattered to her. 

The riskiest part of the mission was upon her. Ophelia took her cellphone out of her pocket. It was almost completely useless out in the middle of the woods, especially in a different country, but it was still good for one thing. With the flash on, Ophelia took a picture of her twin sister’s file. 

Ophelia stood completely still and tried not to panic as the flash lit up the whole office. When nothing happened, after the longest thirty seconds of her life, Ophelia put the file back where she found it and pulled her own, repeating the process. This time she did not wait to see what would happen. She slid the drawer back where it belonged and re-locked the file cabinet. She was light on her feet as she bounced out the window, relocked it hastily, and tapped Nina’s arm to bolt back to the cabin. 

The isolation cabin was a fierce sprint away from the counselor’s office. When they were clear of the regular camp, running uphill through the sparse woods, Nina finally shouted, “Ophelia! Slow down!” 

Ophelia jogged to a halt, her breath faster than it would have been normally. Her heart was thumping. Adrenaline was tingling in her feet and her fingertips. “That was horrifying,” she said as Nina came up behind her, panting ferociously. “I loved it!” 

“Super,” Nina coughed. “Let's look at the goods.” 

The one hurdle that could get in the way of the switch plan was the fight Nina and Ophelia had that landed them in the isolation cabin in the first place. Back inside, Nina hunched over Ophelia’s phones, pinching the pictures of the files and squinting at the small font. After a long examination, she said, “The note they sent our parents is in here. It mentions the fight, but not the black eye or who the fight was with.” She grinned up at Ophelia. “They didn’t include our names. They still don’t know we’ve met.” 

“That’s a relief,” Ophelia said, slinking back against her bed. “I’m suddenly very exhausted.” 

“You did good today, sis,” Nina said as she handed back the phone and patted Ophelia on the head. “Too good, almost. I saw you re-lock the window. That was okay this time, but if you’re sneaking around Dad you can be a little sloppier. If he doesn't catch you breaking the rules, then he’ll know something is up.” 

“Are you bad at it?” Ophelia asked, raising her eyebrow. “I thought the point of being sneaky was so that you _didn’t_ get caught breaking the rules.” 

Nina shrugged and laid back on her own bed. Just before she turned off the lights she smirked and said, “Yeah, but if he didn’t _know_ I was up to something, if I didn’t get a reaction out of him, then what would be the point?” 

\--- 

If Nina’s home life was about playing mind games with other people, then Ophelia’s was about how people had played mind games on her. Or at least, that was Nina’s impression when she was first introduced to the concept of the blood pact. 

“It’s a… Pinky swear…” Nina said after watching Soleil and Ophelia perform it in front of her. “A psycho elaborate pinky swear.” 

“It’s more than that!” Ophelia proclaimed. She struck a pose with her arms flung wide, chin held high and eyes blazing with some sort of adamant pride. “The blood pact is an important part of my relationship with Papa and with Uncle Laslow. It may seem like an ordinary handshake, but it is a binding ritual. If you break the blood pact, your soul will be lost to the void!” 

Nina had been practicing talking like Ophelia for a while now and it was already such a struggle conceptually. To understand that there were more layers to the madness than she originally suspected was exasperating. She looked to Soleil for sympathy, but was only offered a weak shrug and lopsided grin. 

“The power that flows through my father’s veins, the same power that I inherited, overflows sometimes. The blood pact is the only way to keep it tamed. It has been Laslow who cared for Papa when he was young and full of drive, and now he watches over me.” 

Nina squinted. “So, what you’re telling me is I have to try to be a little reckless once in a while so that Soleil’s dad can force me to do an intricate pinky swear?” 

“Yes,” Soleil said, cutting off Ophelia whose mouth was still open and ready to provide long winded responses. “Ophelia tried to jump off the roof of the garden shed like last month in an attempt to fly.” 

Ophelia threw her head back and grinned. “Papa backed Uncle Laslow on that decision, but I believe that if I store my power for another year or so the winds of fate will carry me into the ether.” 

“I’m just realizing exactly how _much_ of a miracle it is that we were able to meet,” Nina said. 

Ophelia held out a pinky finger to Nina and smiled. “Time to practice, dear sister.” 

The sun was setting over the crest of the hill when Nina finally felt as though she had the pact down. She was coordinated, but getting the moves in the right order was the hard part. And even with the whole thing memorized, Nina’s stomach squirmed with the idea of going to London. Ophelia was more than one highly detailed hand shake. She was big words and fantastical concepts almost 24 hours a day. It was intimidating. 

Soleil bid them farewell as the announcement for bedtime rang through the camp speakers and the twins started their trek back home. Ophelia must have sensed the trepidation in Nina’s demeanor because she unabashedly grabbed her hand. They exchanged a look and Ophelia smiled. 

“I have been imitating Papa all my life,” Ophelia said softly. “I can't imagine what it must be like to learn it all in a few weeks. But you’re doing well. And if you slip up, you’ll have Soleil with you. So don’t be afraid.” 

Nina let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding in and squeezed Ophelia’s hand. “That's true… But if you screw up, you’ll have no one.” 

“I’ll be fine,” Ophelia reassured. “I’m quite good at acting. And this plan, going to California to meet Dad. It’s worth it.” 

When they arrived at the cabin, Nina dropped her sister’s hand and made her way up the steps for the door. She paused only when she realized Ophelia wasn’t directly behind her and turned to see her staring at the sky through the trees. 

“What are you looking at?” Nina asked softly. 

Ophelia looked back the way they came and said, “We have a few minutes before the counsellors come to check on us. Follow me.” She turned toward a tree and started to climb it. 

“You’re not gonna jump out of the tree and try to fly are you?” 

“Not this time. Hurry up.” 

Nina conceded and followed her sister. The tree had sturdy branches that were so easy to navigate, Nina didn’t realize how far she had climbed until she came to a stop beside her sister at the top of the forest. She followed Ophelia’s gaze up to the stars. There were so many, twinkling between the navy and purple of the cosmos. And the moon, large and silver, sat in the center of it all, smiling down at them. 

“When we leave camp I don’t want you to worry about me being lonely. Of course I’ll have Dad there, but I’ll also have you. I will be able to look up at the moon and know that even though you are thousands of miles away, we have that bit of the world in common. We’ve been connected since birth, and we will be for the rest of our lives. You and I will never be alone ever again.” 

Nina smiled. “You’re right. Even after our covers are busted, no one will be able to seperate us. And they won’t even have the chance to try because this is going to _work_. We can make them fall in love again. So that we can be together.” 

“As a family once more,” Ophelia finished. 

They sat and watched the moon in silence until it was absolutely necessary to stop. 

\--- 

After weeks of lessons on how to braid poorly and how to project one’s voice, Nina and Ophelia had to say goodbye. 

Soleil kissed her childhood friend on the temple then winked at Nina and got in the car that would take them to the airport. Nina’s heart thumped hard at the realization that she was about to travel to a different country alone with Soleil. But she would have plenty of time to dwell on it, so she pushed the subsequent thoughts out of her mind and turned to Ophelia. 

Ophelia already had tears welling up in her large green eyes. She had her hair in braids and wore Nina’s clothes and held Nina’s bag. It was the most eerie sensation Nina had felt since the day they met all those weeks ago. So much had changed in that time. Where Nina would have previously rushed in to deck Ophelia for being weird and intrusive, she now rushed in to hug her tight for being precious and real. 

“I’ll see you soon,” Ophelia sobbed into Nina’s shoulder. 

“But not too soon,” Nina said back, choking back tears of her own. They pulled away and Nina patted her head. “Good luck, sis.” 

“I love you, Nina.” 

Damn the tear that rolled down Nina’s cheek as she stepped away. “I love you too, Ophelia. Kiss Dad for me!” 

“And Papa for me!” 

Her legs carried her against the current of her heart to the car. It was a blur of a journey that involved a lot of emotional exhaustion and napping on Soleil’s supportive shoulder. And then, after many hours of being in the air, Nina was gently shaken awake. 

“Nina,” Soleil hissed excited. “Look. We’re here.” 

Nina turned away from her friend and looked out the window beside her. Blossoming out of the clouds was a city. London. A father she had never known was down there. She clenched her fists to quell the ache in her blood. And the fact that that thought crossed her mind was proof enough that she was ready to meet him.


	3. There She Goes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaah sorry this was a day late. I'll try to be better next week. Thank you for your patience. :) Enjoy~
> 
> EDIT: sorry yall i realized there was one Super Paragraph at the end of the chapter and it was driving me nuts so I fixed it ^^;

Soleil saw him first, which made sense because he was her father. Nina had only seen the man in pictures, so when Soleil’s arms wrapped around his waist and he smiled down at her she was suddenly frozen in place. This was real now. It wasn’t just a crazy summer heist. She had really gone to a different country and was really going to act like someone she wasn’t.

Laslow turned his smile to Nina. “You did it!” He said. “You brought her home in one piece and, hopefully, without any phone numbers that will cost me an outrageous amount of money in collect calls.” 

“I don’t think that will be an issue,” Nina said in her British accent that she had been practicing. “I kept a vigilant eye on Soleil all summer Just like we promised!” 

Laslow smirked and then a pinky extended toward her. “Swear on it.” 

Nina sucked in a breath and set her bag down. She tried to steady her hands, which had started to shake a little. Her first test. She could this. 

Remarkably, Nina had fun with it. Turns out elaborate handshakes were easier to do with someone who was delighted to see her than it was with her scrutinizing twin, watching her every move for mistakes. When the twists and hops of the blood pact were complete, and their thumbs were pressed together, Nina reached down into her soul and pulled out her voice to proclaim, “The pact has been sealed!” She had passed the first trial. 

Laslow chuckled. “Well done. Alright let’s get going. Your father has been insufferable with you away.” 

They drove through London and Nina let herself be enraptured by it. Laslow sat in the front of the car, so she just had Soleil watching her silent wonder as she leaned out the window. The street signs and the statues and the architecture. It was all like nothing she had ever seen before. The air even smelled different than it did back home. But she didn’t feel out of place. She didn’t feel isolated like she had on the first day of camp. Her stomach was a tangle of butterflies as she thought about the possibilities and opportunities ahead of her. 

They arrived at a narrow home with a little white fence around the front porch. Nina’s heart skipped a beat. She knew this place from pictures. It was real. Laslow, sensing her palpable emotions, braced his arm on the back of the chair next to him and twisted to face Nina in the backseat. 

“You ready?” He asked, unaware of what he was asking her to be ready for. 

“Yes!” Nina said. 

Soleil and Laslow helped her gather her luggage out of the car and walk inside. The door was unlocked so Nina let herself in, her heart itself pushing against the doorknob through her fingertips. 

Inside there was a huge white staircase with a banner that said ‘Welcome Home Ophelia!’ hanging from the railing. There wasn't anyone underneath it, so Nina poked around the foyer until she found a little office, exactly where Ophelia had told her it would be. And her heart leapt again at what she found inside. 

“Grandmother?” Nina said in a small voice, one that she for a moment worried was too small. But the woman in question turned to her and she beaming. 

Lissa was a petite woman with very few signs of age. She had blonde hair that fell down her shoulders in messy waves and brilliant green eyes that grew to the size of saucer plates when she saw Nina. She thrust her arms out for a hug and exclaimed “Oh, Ophelia! Welcome home!” 

Nina didn’t know if she was supposed to act a certain way around her grandmother and right now she didn’t care. She hadn’t even known she had a grandmother until a few weeks ago. Her dad didn’t have any family to speak of. She had always been a little jealous of her friends who had huge rambunctious families that always got together on holidays. Christmas at the Nohr house wasn’t really the same as this right here. Her very own grandma. In place of knowing what Ophelia would say in this situation, she kept her mouth shut and just let herself be pulled into a hug far too crushing to come from such a small woman. 

Lissa buried her nose in Nina’s hairline and inhaled deeply. “You smell like the outdoors!” She said excitedly. “Did you have a blast?” 

“It was... extraordinary!” 

Lissa giggled. “Well you’ll have to tell your father and I all about it at supper. Speaking of, where is that looney son of mine?” 

As if on cue, a booming voice filled the foyer behind them and Nina ran from her grandmother’s grasp to answer the call. “WHO DARES ENTER MY LAIR?” 

Soleil and Laslow were standing there, both grinning. Nina looked at Soleil for one last boost of confidence and was granted a wink. So she thrust an arm forward and declared, “IT IS I, THE HEIR TO YOUR LEGACY, OPHELIA DUSK!” 

A man’s face with a half-done shave popped around the corner upstairs. Odin Dark’s green eyes glistened as he said, “Ophelia? You’re back!” And then he was running. He ran down the stairs and she ran up them and halfway they met, colliding into each other in a tangle of arms. Nina immediately buried her nose into his neckline and he smoothed down the hair on top of her head affectionately. For a moment, Nina let herself be whole. Let herself be Nina in the arms of her papa. 

“It’s been too long my little one,” Odin said as they pulled away from each other. He crouched on the stairs above her and she clung to his shirt like she was five years old. He had laugh lines around his eyes like rays and bright yellow hair that looked like he hadn’t brushed it yet. His picture hadn’t done him any justice. He was literal sunshine. 

“You have no idea,” Nina murmured. She was trying not to cry, but then realized that Ophelia probably would. She would let herself be a fountain of emotions. So a few tears broke away and Odin brushed them from her cheek with a little grin. 

“You are a brave adventurer. I am so proud of you,” Odin said. His voice was melodic and soothing. She didn’t know she could feel so attached to someone she had just met. “I can’t wait to hear all of your stories.” 

“I can’t wait to share them with you. Papa,” Nina breathed. She had spoke of him for so long, it was hard to believe she was finally speaking to him. 

“Well if it's alright then,” came Laslow’s voice from the doorway. Nina had almost forgotten he was still here. “I think Soleil and I will be going.” 

Odin smiled at him over Nina’s head. “I’ll see you tomorrow?” 

“Yes. Till then.” 

Nina pushed against the force of love that had glued her to Odin and ran back down the stairs to Soleil. She was suddenly hyperaware that she was about to lose the only person on this continent she had known for more than an hour. She threw her arms around Soleil and then, realizing how weird that must have seemed for children who had been friends for far too long to grow sentimental, she said loudly, “Thank you for camp Soleil. I’ll see you… Later?” 

“Tomorrow,” Soleil whispered in her ear. It was gruff and warm and it sent chills down Nina’s arms. “I’ll see you tomorrow. When our parents have work to do. Enjoy the day with your father until then.” 

Nina pulled away so that Soleil could see her nod, and then they were gone. And it was just Nina with her papa and her grandmother and a pounding heart. 

“Come along, Ophelia,” Odin said, holding out his hand to her from the stairs. “We have so much catching up to do.” 

Once again, Nina thought, he had no idea. 

\--- 

If Nina had gone home to California, she wondered if she would have been elucidating her time at camp quite like she was here. She might have even stuck to her guns about being upset about being sent to camp in the first place and not tell him anything. But with Odin, she shared her world. She left out the bits about Ophelia, of course, instead talked about a fictional friend she and Soleil had hung out with. 

“This new comrade,” Odin started. “Does she have anything to do with the fight you got into?” 

Nina deflated. “Oh, yes. That. Actually,” she coughed. “It is the same girl. We didn’t like each other at first. I suspected her of dark magic and set out to thwart her. But during a trial of isolation I discovered that I had been wrong. She was actually quite lovely. I’m sorry if I worried you Papa.” 

Odin smiled at her and in that smile she saw all the love in the world. “I’m proud of you, Ophelia. For setting aside your differences and finding the good in people. You have the makings of a wise hero. Someone people will look up to.” He patted her head and never before had Nina felt so good about being honest. 

Odin’s phone started to ring before she could continue talking about her two months spent in the wilderness and he excused himself to answer it. He spoke in a language Nina didn’t know and didn’t recognize. It wasn’t Spanish. Was it French? Italian? Ophelia hadn’t said anything about knowing another language. What if he expected her to speak it? Could she bullshit her way through it? 

“Ophelia,” Odin said half way through his foreign rambling. “They require my assistance at a photoshoot. Would you like to come along and see what I’ve been working on while you were away?” 

Nina brightened. “Yes!” 

They went to the studio on foot. Nina got to use the famous subway system and get a closer look at London. The streets were damp from a recent rain, but the sidewalks were still crowded. She clung to Odin’s side the whole way, testing out new feats of physical affection she rarely did with her dad back home anymore. But Odin didn’t seem to mind it. In fact, he embraced her back, an arm slung across her shoulders as they walked side by side. 

The whole way, Nina talked. She almost talked herself hoarse. A little of it was about camp, but eventually she ran out of harmless things she could share with him and twisted the conversation. 

“So, Papa, what have you been up to while I’ve been away? Other than work, I mean. Any new… People I need to know about?” 

Odin was startled by this question. His wide, smiling eyes blinked at her a few times. “People?” 

“You know… Have you give any thought lately to maybe getting married again?” 

Odin laughed. And thank god for it. “No, of course not! That sort of... thing... takes time! The winds of destiny will let me know when, and _if_ , it is ever time again.” 

“Of course! Was it destiny when you met my other father?” 

Odin almost choked on his own spit. “Well… Yes, perhaps. But you know, under certain circumstances destiny _can_ be broken. And don't forget this, Ophelia. If I teach you nothing else in life, let it be that while destiny and fate are real and they will guide you, you are the maker of your own future. You can always say no to things, even if they feel binding.” 

Nina frowned, but she didn’t have a chance to comeback with a reply because he then pointed out that they had arrived. 

The studio was a small, plain gray building shoved between two other much taller ones. It had ‘Odin Dark’ written in big letters above a display window that showed off the most fabulous matching suit and dress. They were dark purple and glistened against the rain puddles outside. It was much smaller than what Nina thought the studio for a world famous fashion designer would look like and for a moment, she just stared. 

“I know, it’s odd that they’re doing a photoshoot at the old studio,” Odin said, catching on to her confusion. “But what can I say, except that my collection of ancient artifacts here is a perfect backdrop for any Odin Dark piece!” 

Nina laughed and allowed herself to be pulled into the studio. On the second floor was the photoshoot and Nina almost thanked god for the opportunity that was waiting for her there. The photoshoot was for a pure white wedding tuxedo. 

“There’s something about this pose,” the man with a huge camera and an even heavier French accent said to Odin. “It is not capturing the gold trim on the side of the jacket.” 

“Well this simply won’t do. The Tempest of Turmoil deserves to be shown off from every angle! Here, try this,” Odin said as he twisted his body and held his hand flared out in front of his face. The model mimicked him and Nina stifled a giggle from the side of the room. Her papa looked so cool. She let her mind imagine him wearing that tuxedo. 

“Papa, that’s so cool,” Nina told him when he joined her to let the photographers do their work. “I think it would look really good on you.” 

She hoped it sounded innocuous enough. He stuttered a little before he cleared his throat. “I did wear something like that. Once.” 

“You mean when you married my other father?” she asked. She kept her eyes wide, hopefully radiating an innocent curiosity that would shield her ulterior motive. 

“Y-yes,” he said. He coughed then turned his attention almost abruptly back to the shoot. 

Nina pursed her lips. She wasn’t done, not by a long shot. “Did my other father ever come with you to photoshoots like this? Did he like your clothes?” 

“Ophelia!” Odin was beat red. “What has gotten into you today? What’s with all these questions?” 

“I’m just curious about where I come from, I suppose,” she mumbled. “All my friends at camp had two parents and I’ve been burning with questions about my origins ever since I’ve returned.” 

Odin knelt, his hands on either of her shoulders and his green eyes looking comfortingly into her soul. “Okay,” he said. “I’ll tell you all about it. Give me a moment though. Let’s wrap up here and then we’ll go shopping, and we can talk some more just you and me. What do you say?” 

Nina nodded and let him go, laughing to herself in her pure joy as the model tried to copy Odin’s wild stances. The camera crew was also enjoying themselves. Nina wasn’t used to it. The energy. The radiating light that brightened the lives around him. Her papa was a good man, and even though she had only known him for a short period of time, she already loved him and knew that she couldn’t give him up again. 

\--- 

_Odin took a deep breath and straightened his jacket in the mirror for the umpteenth time. It was perfect. Of course it was perfect, it had been designed by himself and fitted just for his body. It was a one of a kind. And he would glow in it, he knew that about himself._

_“Odin,” came Laslow’s voice from the door. “Are you ready, mate?”_

_“Yes,” Odin said in a breath. He turned to his friend and posed with his hands on his hips. “A hero does not make his fans wait long!”_

_Laslow’s smile was lopsided. “To say the least. You’ve only know him for a week. If you have any regrets, you can tell me now and I won’t judge you for it later.”_

_“Nonsense,” Odin said as he took Laslow’s elbow. “He’s my soulmate. I made these clothes just for him.”_

_It was a white tuxedo with silver glitter that spiraled up from the hem of the jacket. It was indicative of the Courtship of the Moon. The tuxedo he had been wearing when he had met his soon to be husband. This one was aptly called, Vow of the Cosmos._

_“He’s lucky,” Laslow said. “I’m just worried about you.”_

_Odin clasped Laslow’s shoulder and looked him in the eye. They were standing outside the sanctuary door now. Beyond it was Odin’s whole life. The life that, a week ago, he hadn’t known was waiting for him. But he was more than ready for it. “Thank you, old friend. Your concerns have been heard. But I am happy. And I love him. I didn’t know I could feel this way about a person and I know he feels the same. This is fast, yes, but I know it’s right.”_

_“Okay,” Laslow said. “I trust you. I will stop questioning it.”_

_“Thank you,” Odin said, grinning. “Besides, there will be a lot of lovely ladies at the reception. Maybe you won’t strike out tonight like you did at the gala.”_

_Laslow laughed. “We’ll see,” he said. “There is this girl with pink hair that I think was actually ogling me earlier.”_

_“See?” Odin was bright. “It’s going to be a good day. And it’s going to open the door to a good future ahead of us. I can feel it.”_

\--- 

Odin didn’t like thinking about his wedding day. He hadn’t in a while, but his daughter asking him about the white tuxedo had forced himself to relieve it. He excused himself from the shoot after a moment and went down to the shop below. He had a large closet that held a lot of the prototypes of his old works. He rifled through the suits and dresses until he found them. Courtship of the Moon and Vow of the Cosmos. Two outfits worn within a week of each other to mark important instances in his life. His finger trailed the silver glitter sleeves as he allowed himself to get lost in thought. Thoughts of eyes so blue he could swim in them. Of silver hair that made him feel like he could carve through the stars themselves when he ran his fingers through it. 

“Papa?” Came an unexpected voice from the door and Odin startled. “What are you doing?” 

“Oh, ah, O-Ophelia! Um, sorry.” 

“Did you get lost on your way to the bathroom?” she asked, a hint of mischief in her voice. 

“No, I, um,” he coughed. “I’m almost done. Go wait outside, love. I’ll be there in a moment.” 

She must have accepted that response because the door closed behind him and Odin allowed himself a moment to compose his expression. 

He hadn’t dwelt on thoughts of that man in over a decade and he wasn’t particularly keen on starting. However, he had a feeling this wasn’t the end of this conversation with his daughter today. It hadn’t escaped him that the smells of America had clung to her on her journey back. Dusty wine cellars and horse musk. But it didn’t bother him either. They were, more than likely, regular camp smells that he was mistaking for something else. And it made him pleasantly nostalgic. So if she kept drilling him, he would humor her. 

He smiled to himself and set the sleeve back where it had been. She could ask him about where she had come from and he wouldn't lie. He would tell her about how she was carved out of the moon itself. 

\--- 

So far, Nina was wearing the mask of her twin perfectly. She had spent so much time leading up to this trip worrying about whether or not she would accidentally over play or under play the whole Dark/Dusk thing Ophelia and her papa seemed to have going. But so far he didn’t suspect a thing. Part of it, she was starting to think, was because she was making him nervous. She had come home from camp with a whole bag full of questions about her other father and he was preoccupied in his own thoughts. Which was good. It was exactly what she wanted him to do. She wanted him to dwell on his relationship with her dad back in California, to reawaken any long locked away feelings. 

That wasn’t the entire story, however. She also knew that he was just overwhelmingly happy to see her ‘again’. He was spoiling her. Or rather, he was spoiling Ophelia. Taking her to Ophelia’s favorite places around the city, places Nina had never been to before but had to fake nostalgia for. She let herself get excited and then just rebranded it into a specific kind of excited that wouldn’t reveal her to be the new tourist that she was. 

By the time dinner rolled around, Nina was properly hungry and exhausted. So when they finally arrived at a pub that Odin had called Ophelia’s favorite place, Nina was both filled with relief and dread. Relief because she needed fuel so badly. Dread because she wasn’t sure she had the energy to fake her way through ordering something at Ophelia’s favorite restaurant where she probably had a favorite dish that she had neglected to share with her imposter twin. 

A second, and even more blessed, sense of relief swept Nina almost down the street when she recognized a mess of pink hair among the crowd of people waiting for a table at the very same pub they had come to. 

“Papa!” Nina said with honest jubilation. “Soleil and Uncle Laslow are here! What good fortune!” 

“Ah,” Odin said as he waved at his friend who brightened in equal recognition. “Truly this is too great to be a coincidence, fate wants us to dine together. Laslow! Do you have a table yet?” 

Nina was just tired enough that standing next to a familiar face, Soleil in this case, brought her comfort. So she did. She hovered near her friend who treated her with kind, sympathetic eyes. They were seated together and before they could order, Odin excused himself to the restroom. Nina peeked over her menu at Laslow. He was chatting emphatically with the waitress, not paying attention. 

“Soleil,” she hissed from behind her menu. Her voice was so low under the din of the restaurant, she was certain Laslow wouldn’t have been able to hear her even if he tried. “What would Ophelia order here?” 

Soleil chuckled and started pointing to things on the menu. Ophelia ordered a couple of different things, depending on her mood, but her favorite was a sandwich with an elaborate laundry list of add-ons. Nina’s nose crinkled as Soleil talked through it very carefully, and quietly, still certain her father wasn’t paying attention. 

Odin returned soon enough and then so did a new waitress, after Laslow scared off the first one. They ordered and when Nina’s elaborate sandwich, which she had ordered with all the flair and gusto she was certain was necessary, arrived, she dug right in. 

“Wow!” Nina exclaimed, almost forgetting her faux accent. “This is-” Soleil cleared her throat. Nina swallowed and looked up. Her papa and Laslow were staring at her. “Just like I remember. Delicious!” She made a mental note to thank Ophelia later for having amazing taste. And Soleil for saving her. 

Odin chuckled at her, none the wiser, and turned to his friend. “What conquests have you two been pursuing today?” 

“Oh, you know,” Laslow said, picking at his food lazily. “Shopping and the like.” 

“Dad hasn’t filled the refrigerator in two months,” Soleil said with a broad smile plastered on her face. “He’s been eating only take out! We spent like five hours at the supermarket.” 

Laslow practically pouted. “All right. What about you?” 

“Papa and I went to the studio,” Nina cut in, even though Odin’s mouth was hanging open to answer. 

“You went to work?” 

“They needed help with a photoshoot,” Nina answered, again over her papa who was trying to answer. She smirked, a new idea cresting in her mind. “For his wedding line.” 

Odin cleared his throat. “Yes. And I wanted to show Ophelia what I had been working on.” 

Laslow smiled then and turned to Nina. “Well? What did you think?” 

“Everything was wonderful!” Nina said emphatically. “Gorgeous, of course, and it really got me thinking about the sacred union of marriage! Say, Uncle Laslow, did you know my other dad?” 

Both men at the other end of the table choked. Soleil stifled a giggle behind a napkin as best she could. Nina cemented innocence into her expression. 

“Goodness, has she been like this all day?” Laslow asked Odin, without even answering her. 

“Practically,” Odin muttered. But he was smiling, despite himself. “Apparently camp had quite the impact on her.” 

Laslow raised his eyebrow at Nina. “Indeed.” 

Nina didn’t like that look he gave her. Maybe she didn’t know him well enough, but it felt suspicious. She had gotten too comfortable with pestering Odin; she hadn’t considered how other less trusting people might react to her sudden probing. She needed to talk her way out of this. Even if it meant losing some ground on the whole operation to get Odin transfixed on the idea of his ex husband. 

“Camp was a life changing experience,” Nina said enthusiastically. She put down her food and sat up straight, striking some signature Ophelia poses. “It was a true spiritual journey, being in the American wilderness. The spirit of the forest awakened my slumbering soul and joined all aspects of my life, past, present and future, together to build me into who I truly am! Ophelia Dusk, a chosen warrior of heroic, nay, ROYAL blood! It is only with the harmony of past lineage and my future potential that my aching blood can be harnessed for something great.” 

Laslow blinked a few times, but Odin was beaming. “Well. That makes perfect sense,” he said gleefully. 

Nina was rather proud of herself after that, and she didn’t try to bring up her dad for the remainder of dinner. Not with others here. She could begin again when she was safe and alone with Odin. But dinner was still good. Nina found herself laughing, genuinely, and enjoying herself with this company. 

Eventually, they did leave. Nina and Soleil said goodbye again, though this time Nina was less anxious to part with her anchor. She was doing _very_ well with this impersonation grift all on her own. Still, Soleil held her gently and petted her hair and stared at her with those hauntingly cool blue eyes and Nina left feeling a little weak in the knees. 

Then it was just Nina and her papa again. She took his hand and they walked home, talking over whether or not grandmother would be upset that they had already eaten when they got there. 

\--- 

Jet lag and a day of sightseeing had exhausted Nina to the point that when she saw Soleil the next morning she croaked out a weak, “Sup,” and then fell into her arms. 

Soleil caught her and they laughed. When Soleil’s strong arms wrapped around Nina, she was surprised that she was able to lean into them so earnestly. She thought for sure that she had spent so much affection on Odin that her well would have run dry, but not for Soleil apparently. She felt safe again. Her momentary sanctuary from grand speech and dramatic volumes. 

Laslow, who was standing at the door ready to leave for the studio with Odin, raised his eyebrow but didn’t say a word. 

“We'll be back in a few hours, girls,” Odin said, oblivious. “Be good for your grandmother.” 

“Aye aye, Sir!” Nina said boisterously and dragged Soleil up to her room. 

For a while, they played the way Soleil and Ophelia would play if it was any other day. Nina’s grandmother was still around, after all, she couldn’t completely let her guard down. Especially when that woman had a habit of sneaking around. 

Nina was in the middle of essentially rewriting the plot of a movie they were watching, loud enough for her voice to be heard throughout the entire house, when Lissa walked in. 

“Look what I made! Your favorite Ophelia!” 

Nina bounced away from the TV to the baking tray in her grandmother’s hand. Lined up on it were little dollops of chocolate. Nina smelled peanut butter and her mouth salivated. 

“Peanut butter Oreo balls,” Soleil said with a grin. She winked at Nina, who was clearly trying to contain her excitement as if she had experienced such a thing before. 

“May I?” Nina asked, already reaching for one. 

She didn’t see the glint in Lissa’s eyes until it was too late. 

In the center of the Oreo-peanut butter chocolate covered mixture was something thick and gummy. Nina startled and almost screamed as she pulled it free with her teeth and saw what it was. A worm. There had been a worm in her cookie. 

Lissa had to set the tray down to grip her sides with laughter and picked up the worm. She wiggled it in Nina’s horrified face and said, “Oh, dear, you really shouldn’t have fallen for that! It’s a gummy, see?” She took a bite of it. “Though it looks awfully authentic.” 

Nina was a little annoyed, but pushed those feelings down as far as she could. Ophelia wouldn’t be annoyed. She would laugh. “You scared the life out of me,” she said. “Do you, um, have any without gummy worms in them?” 

“Yes of course,” Lissa said, gesturing to the tray. “You just happened to grab the lucky one. You are my favorite test subject, love.” 

All of the knee jerk frustration from losing face evaporated when Lissa kissed Nina on the head. “Now, I need to make a few more cookies but we have rather unceremoniously run out of sugar. Will you girls be quite alright if I pop down to the market for a moment?” 

“Of course,” Soleil said as Nina poked at the cookies to make sure she wasn’t being tricked again. “My father will be back any moment now anyway.” 

“Of course, dear. I won’t be long. Stay out of trouble and don’t answer the door to strangers.” 

A moment later, the door to the house closed. Nina’s heart fluttered. For a moment, just a moment, she could be herself. It was just her and Soleil after all. Alone. For the first time in almost two months. 

After Nina and Ophelia realized they were sisters and all of the circumstances that came with that, they were pretty preoccupied the rest of camp. They were never apart. Thus, Nina and Soleil hadn’t had any time to further explore whatever had happened during their hike just before the punch that sent Nina to the isolation cabin. 

What was there even to explore, was the big question. One Nina had been avoiding. Because rationally speaking, there was nothing to explore. Yes, Soleil liked girls, and she probably liked Nina, but it was a moot point because Nina liked _men_. Like, a lot. It was a huge part of her identity. She couldn’t just throw away fourteen years of fantasies because one cool girl smiled at her a few times. 

“Dad should be here in about an hour,” Soleil said. Nina was almost offended by how calm she was. “What do you want to during your allotted personality free time?” 

“I… Don’t want to say a word,” Nina said, deflating as she admitted it. “I want to watch a movie and just chill out for once. I want to get into my own head and not try to be the center of attention.” 

She hadn’t meant to be so honest, but once the gate was open her true desires just kept flowing out. Nina Zero came up gasping for air. 

Soleil smiled softly. “That can be arranged.” 

The tv was turned on to something random and Nina did what she said she would. She curled into the corner of the couch, letting herself be small, and she kept her mouth shut as her imagination ran wild. 

For a few moments, Nina zoned out and wasn’t even aware of how closely Soleil was sitting. Until she shifted and the couch moved with her and Nina was jerked out of her daydreams. She slipped out of her delicate leg knot and tumbled slowly into Soleil’s side. But Soleil, respectful of Nina’s request to remain quiet, did not make a noise about it. She did wrap her arm around Nina’s shoulder’s to stabilize her. And then they just sat like that. Nina tried to go back into her head, but it was leaning against Soleil's shoulder and suddenly all she could feel was the place where they made contact on her exterior. 

It happened gradually. Nina wasn’t even aware of it, not entirely. They were leaning into each other, then they were sinking into each other, then Soleil was breathing on her skin and Nina wasn’t even facing the tv anymore. Soleil’s eyes are so blue and she was lost out at sea. 

“Alright, what the _hell_ is going on here?” 

Nina could have leapt right out of her own skull. Above everything, the interruption was delivered in an accusatory manner, and Nina, who was present and accounted for, did not respond well to accusations. 

“This isn’t what it looks like!” She shouted defensively, leaping back into her corner of the couch, away from Soleil’s warm breath. 

Soleil didn’t say a word. She turned her head slowly, eyes wide with horror, to find her dad standing the doorway, hands on his hips. And Nina realized a moment too late that she had shouted her defense without an accent. 

Laslow raised an eyebrow and fixated on Nina, who wouldn’t be surprised if someone told her she was turning blue. 

“You’ll have to backup and tell me what it looks like,” Laslow said quickly. “Because I, frankly, am at a loss. Something weird is happening here and I can’t quite figure it out.” He paused and looked between the two girls, who said nothing. “Are you two dating?” 

A flurry of no’s bombarded Laslow and he sighed loudly. “Please don’t lie to me, because I know a few years ago you almost had a thing. Then suddenly you come back from summer camp and… Soleil you have never been as gentle with Ophelia as I have watched you be over the past couple of days. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.” 

Soleil shut her mouth again. Her jaw squared and she averted her gaze. “It’s not like that dad.” 

“Soleil and I are just friends, that’s all,” Nina said quickly, slipping back into her Ophelia persona as fast as she could. The cracks were filling up, but not quickly enough. “Nothing happened at summer camp. Promise.” 

Laslow narrowed his eyes. “Ophelia, have you been feeling alright?” 

Nina gulped. “Y-yes. Why?” 

“At the pub yesterday… There were just some things. Like…” He chuckled suddenly, as if remembering a funny joke. “I thought maybe Soleil was coaching you through what to order.” 

Nina’s heart stopped. He had noticed after all. 

“And you kept asking weird questions. And I just walked into you watching a movie very quietly. You weren’t emphatically predicting the end or rewriting the weaker lines or anything. When Soleil and I came over earlier today you said ‘Sup’! Since when do you _shorten_ words?!” 

Nina opened and closed her mouth. She felt a little bit like a goldfish. Small, trapped, confused about who she was on this big blue planet. She didn’t know what to say. Laslow had noticed _everything_ and there was virtually no way of talking her way out of it again. 

“Where is Papa?” she asked cautiously. 

Laslow sighed. “He had to finish something up at the office. So if you have something you need to tell me, now would be the time. If there’s something going on between you two, I’d rather know so that we can-” 

Nina stood up from the couch and walked toward Laslow. She was slow in her movements. Hesitant. “There’s nothing going on between me and Soleil,” she lied. “It’s just, at camp-” 

“I know you were at summer camp for a while. And that both of you grew and changed. And Odin doesn’t see anything weird happening so maybe I'm just imagining it. But since you came back, it's almost like you’re a different person.” 

Nina didn’t say anything at first. She stared into his eyes and she watched him grow increasingly uncomfortable by the minute. And Nina weighed her options. There were inherent risks in what she was considering, of course. Her fists clenched at her sides. The risks on the other side of the coin seemed even greater. Laslow going to Odin with his suspicions. The plans crumbling apart. A flight back to California. 

“What if I was another person, Uncle Laslow?” 

Laslow blinked a few times, confusion clearly gripping him. This wasn’t what he had been expecting. He looked Nina up and down. “What, like if you had found your… um…” 

“If I had found my twin?” She finished. His mouth clenched. Soleil was completely still in the background. Nina saw tears prickling at the corner of his eyes. “If I _was_ my twin? What if I was… Nina?” 

Laslow took a sharp breath in. The tears were bubbling against his eyelids. “N… Nina?” 

Nina nodded, dropped her accent officially, and whispered, “I’m Nina.” 

Laslow choked on a loud sob, and at that exact moment, Odin walked in the door. 

“HAIL FRIENDS, ODIN DARK HAS ARRIVED TO- Laslow, good lord, are you alright?” 

Nina’s heart was pounding so hard she was certain Ophelia could probably feel the shock waves across the ocean. This was the moment of truth. Preferably not the truth that would put a premature death to everything her and Ophelia had so carefully worked toward. 

Laslow grabbed at his tears as they rolled down his cheeks. He sniffled and turned to Odin. “I-I’m fine,” he said. “Nothing's wrong. I’m just… Admiring how beautiful Ophelia is. She used to be a little plump potato with barely a patch of fur on her head and those enormous green eyes that I’ll never forget. So small and delicate and now look at her. She’s grown so much, Odin. Oh my god, can I hug her?” 

And then he did. Laslow embraced Nina and he sobbed into her hair, tangling it up into knots. Nina wished briefly that she had been wearing braids. She awkwardly patted Laslow back as he continued to cry. 

Odin, his eyebrow raised in confusion, searched the room for an explanation. He landed on Soleil who shrugged, cool as ever. “We were watching Toy Story 3. He walked in at the wrong scene. You know the one.” 

“Ah,” Odin said with a chuckle. “Cheer up, Laslow. Growing up is a part of life, even for our beautiful progeny. Now pull yourself together. Is anyone up for some tea? I’m famished.” 

Odin turned to head toward the kitchen, already inquiring about the whereabouts of his mother. Soleil nipped at his heels, suppling get him with answers and distractions so that Laslow could untangle himself from Nina. 

He wiped away the last of his tears then whispered, “We will talk later.” And before he stood up to leave, he winked. Nina smiled, her heart warm. She had only known Laslow for a couple of days and already he trusted her enough to keep her secret. This was going even better she could have predicted it would. 

On her way down the hall, Nina caught a glimpse of the sky through a window. The moon was barely visible on this unnaturally clear day and she let herself hope for a moment that things were going as well for her sister. 

\--- 

**Meanwhile in California, two days ago**

When Ophelia had arrived in America, she had been seen it as a quest for answers in the place of her birth. She had been born here, in this young country built on dreams and potential. Now she left camp on what she could only see as a continuation of that original quest. She had found the land of her blood, now it was time to find the person of her blood as well. 

Odin Dark was Ophelia’s father in every single sense of the word. Except one. An inconsequential one, Ophelia had always believed. He wasn’t her blood. She had spent years taking secretive glances at the photo of the man with the dark skin and the silver hair that was crumbled in the back of her papa’s sock drawer, wondering what sorts of magic he had passed down to her through her genetics. But she never really asked Odin. She didn’t want him to ever think that she thought of him as anything less than her true father. 

Now, though, all that guessing was over. Ophelia was going to meet her biological father. The blood in her veins boiled with anticipation as the small plane started to descend in Nappa. They were escorted down a ladder onto the tarmac where people were waiting to pick up the few people who were being flown here. Ophelia’s knuckles where white on Nina’s duffle bag as she stood on her tiptoes and looked for him. 

He was there suddenly. Her eyes fell on him, barely recognizing him from the pictures. Pictures were nothing compared to the flesh and blood thing. But as soon as she found him, her heart started pounding and she knew. 

His gaze met hers and he smiled. His mouth dipped upward into one cheek, wrinkling it a little in a fatherly sort of way. His one blue eye twinkled. His other one was covered by a black eyepatch – he had an eyepatch! And how cool was that! He had a little bit of a pudge in his button down shirt and jeans, just enough to look very huggable. His hands were in his pockets and when he saw Ophelia he took them out and spread his arms wide for her. She was jogging now toward him, trying to hold back her tears and all but completely forgetting to act like Nina as she fell instinctively, into his arms. 

“Welcome home, kiddo,” he said, ruffling her hair. He bent around her. He was so much taller than her. 

She looked up at him, her arms still latched around his middle. His skin was dark like hers and his hair was silver like hers, thick and pulled back into the smallest pony tail behind his head. His nose and bone structure, it had all clearly been passed down to her. She could feel her heart pounding against his chest. Her blood. Her genetics. Her birthright. “Glad to be back, Dad,” she said through a cracked voice. 

Niles took her bag from her and led her to the car. “Okay, admit it,” he said, his grin unshakable and contagious. “Tell me I was right and that you had fun.” 

“What?” Ophelia asked. It was then that she realized she should be keeping her distance. Nina and Niles had gotten into a fight before camp. And she was supposed to be acting as Nina. She had gotten lost in her own elation and had forgotten to be even a little sullen. She coughed and shrugged, adopting a nonchalant demeanor as convincingly as she could. “Uh, it was alright I guess. Kinda boring.” 

“Boring?” Niles repeated, skepticism in his voice. “Is that why you never wrote me a single letter? Too busy being bored out of your mind?” 

“I mean, it wasn’t _horrible_. I made some friends.” 

“Oh that’s good. You’re not gonna blame them for the fight I heard you got into, are you? The one that gave you that shiner?” 

Ophelia’s heart was pounding. Her black eye was barely visible now, but he had still noticed. How would Nina have responded? She would have unapologetically and unabashedly leaned into her troublemaking. “No,” she said. “That was all me.” 

“Did you win?” he asked, his voice low, smooth like silk. 

Ophelia grinned. “Of course,” she said. “You should see the other girl.” 

Niles laughed then, and it was so deep, so breathy. “That’s my girl. And hey, we match now.” 

Ophelia’s dad was really cool. 

They took the long way home. Ophelia fought against her primal instinct to tell her dad everything about the past eight weeks. She occupied herself by looking out the window when they were silent. The hills were expansive and green and Ophelia’s mouth could barely stay closed as she watched them roll passed the car. It was wide open and beautiful. This was the America she had always imagined. 

After a beautiful drive, they finally came to a huge archway that said, “Zero Regrets Vineyard”. Ophelia’s mouth fell open as she watched it pass overhead. Beyond it were hills and hills of perfectly lined grape vines. Then, sitting at the top of the hill, was the house. It was huge and gorgeous and the sun was high in the clear sky above them. This was nothing like London. 

They pulled up in the long driveway and Ophelia looked around, her eyebrow raised. “Where is everyone?” From the stories Nina had told her, she expected the place to be lively with people who worked for Niles, both at the winery and doing the chores around the ranch. 

“They decided to give us the day to ourselves,” Niles said. “I told them it wasn’t necessary, but, well, Leo pointed out that I hadn’t seen you in eight weeks and some daddy/daughter time was in need. So he told everyone to take the day off.” 

Ophelia held back her laugh. “Can he do that?” She knew that Leo had no part in the wine company. He was in no way in charge of the people who worked for Niles. He was just always around, in Nina’s words, ‘backseat managing’. 

Niles just shrugged. “So after we’re done packing, do you want to go shopping or something in town to appease his majesty? Is that what daddy/daughter days are like? I can’t remember. It’s been so long since I’ve had a daughter around, I have to readjust.” 

Ophelia wanted to laugh again, but she pushed through and rolled her eyes instead. “You’re the one who sent me to summer camp in the first place, you know.” Truth be told, she was delighted by this suggestion. She would love to explore California. But she was also jittery and wanted to calm her nerves. “We don’t have to go anywhere though. Can we just chill here? Maybe watch a bunch of movies or something? I haven’t seen a tv screen in two months.” 

Niles laughed. “I think that can be arranged.” 

After chores were done, Ophelia curled up on the very comfortable couch in the living room and leaned against her dad. Her _dad_. He was soft and warm and he was funny and kind. He made jokes about the movies they watched and she tried to keep up. It was relaxing to watch a movie for once and not feel the pressure to one-up the writing. 

All her life, Ophelia had been mimicking her papa, trying to live an extraordinary lifestyle, loud and vivacious and never calm. This was the complete opposite of everything she had worked so hard to build into her personality. It was nice. She liked it. And she _loved_ her Niles, almost immediately. 

The whole day passed without Ophelia even realizing it. It wasn’t until the room got a little dimmer that Niles sat up, putting aside a long-empty bowl of popcorn. “Come on, kiddo, lets go get some exercise before the day is completely gone.” 

She nodded sleepily and followed him to the stables. Fortunately, Nina had shown her how to saddle western when they were at camp. They hurriedly got the horses dressed and then they were off, riding through the lines of the vineyard, up hills and through the warm California afternoon air. 

In no time at all, it was dusk, Ophelia’s favorite time of the day. She sat on Nina’s horse wearing Nina’s cowboy hat, overlooking Nina’s view. And her dad was next to her, also appreciating the sight that he clearly had never taken for granted. Ophelia could see in his eye how much he loved it here. And she let herself envision a future, very briefly, of her papa and her dad and her sister and her, all together looking out over this view. Living here together. A whole family. Her heart was pounding. She had to make it a reality, whatever the cost. 

“Dad,” she said slowly. “Do you ever… think about remarrying?” 

Niles pulled his gaze away from the darkening sky. His expression was unreadable. “Why do you ask?” 

“You had a lonely look in your eye… Or something…” 

Niles smiled then and Ophelia felt a little warm. “I’m not lonely, love. I have you again.” 

“What about when I was at camp?” Ophelia asked. She was quiet. Cautious. It was genuine, even though she was certain this was the way Nina would act too. 

“Well,” Niles started, looking away, back into the sky. “Truth be told I was too busy to be lonely while you were gone.” 

Ophelia raised an eyebrow. This wasn’t the direction she had been hoping this conversation would go. “Doing what?” 

Niles was silent for a moment then said, “How about I show you. Follow me.” 

They sped off through the vineyard again, back toward the house. It was dark now, and Ophelia could barely see her own hand in front of her face. But she heard a car door shut, and then a little beep of an alarm. Someone was here? At this time of night? 

The horses were brushed and put away, and then Niles was steering Ophelia toward the back porch, one of his big hands on her shoulders. Ophelia saw the silhouette of a person appear on their deck just as Niles started to say, “Nina, I’d like you to meet a new friend of mine. She’s been around a lot since you were at camp.” 

They came to a stop in front of the new person and she turned around. Ophelia’s first impression was that she was beautiful beyond all measures of the word. She had perfectly styled long blonde hair pulled back into a big bow. She was wearing a slinky white dress that showed off every soft, perfect curve of her body. Her hands were clasped in front of her and her precious doe face was pulled into a charming smile. 

“Oh this must be Nina!” The woman’s voice was melodic. For a moment, just a moment, Ophelia was entranced with this siren of a woman. And then she watched in horror as Niles hands fell away from her own shoulders and found purchase on some very particular spots of the stranger’s body. She snaked her hands up his collar bone and leaned into him. The way her body pressed into his made Ophelia feel nauseous. She thought of Odin, all the way back in London, lonely and thinking of Niles every day. And here was Niles with the most beautiful woman in America draped over him like nothing in the world could make him happier. 

Ophelia was so confused and hurt she almost didn’t hear as the woman continued her introduction with what Ophelia _knew_ was an intentionally malicious grin on her face. “I have been waiting all summer to finally meet you. I’m Charlotte. I hope we can get along.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Q: "Wait wait wait. Is Charlotte playing the role of Meredith Blake? The Villain?? But I LOVE Charlotte!! How dare you!! She's so good!!! Why would you lean in to all of the problematic misgivings of her character and cast her in this light!! We know how this ends for her, we've seen the movie!"
> 
> A: I mean, yes, but like, don't worry. Charlotte is one of my FAVORITE characters from Fire Emblem and without giving anything away, you have my word that she is not going to get the typical disney villain treatment. Yes this is still endgame Zerodin. Yes, Charlotte is going to be playing the part of the other woman for a while and yes, the twins' opinions of her are not going to be great. But I'm the author and I really respect Charlotte as a character, and I hope that will come through as the fic progresses. :) Do you trust me?


	4. Here Comes The Sun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AFTER TWO MONTHS OF SILENCE, SHE RISES AGAIN, READY TO FILL YOUR LIFE WITH THAT TWIN MISCHIEF YOU DIDN'T KNOW YOU MISSED SO MUCH
> 
> So shortly after the last chapter updated, I had to pause everything to make some last minute cosplays for a convention because I have *horrible* time management skills. Needless to say it took a while for motivation to write to return to me. I'm so sorry, but rest assured, the inspiration is back, and so am I! If you're still here and willing to put your trust back in me, here you go. :) I hope you enjoy this chapter~ thank you for your support~

When she was submerged under the water, Ophelia could see the future. The pressure of of the pool blocked out all of her concerns. Especially those strutting around the house in five inch heels. In the water, she could fast forward to a time where her plan was complete and her parents were back together. Her papa was smiling like he did in that old picture. Her dad would be in her life forever. Everything was right.

Muffled noises from the surface urged Ophelia to emerge. She propelled herself to the top of the pool and took a deep gulp of air. She felt the innate relief that came with feeding oxygen back into her body after holding her breath for so long, but only for a moment. The person waiting for her, crouched by the edge of the pool and impractically wearing all-white, was giving her a crocodile’s grin. 

“Nina,” said Charlotte in what she must have thought was a motherly tone. “I have been searching everywhere for you all day.” 

“Well, I’ve been right here,” Ophelia lied. In fact, she had spent her morning being pretty much everywhere Charlotte was not. In one instance, that had been explicitly not the pool. Missing whatever had transpired during that time was probably Ophelia’s greatest accomplishment of the trip so far. 

“Of course,” Charlotte said, still grinning. “Well if you’re not too busy, I was hoping to have a little chat between just the two of us. Maybe get to know one another better.” 

Ophelia didn’t want to get out of the water, but she could tell that was what Charlotte was implying she do. Instead, she waded over to the side of the pool, crossed her arms on the concrete and tilted her head. “Sure. Tell me about yourself Charlotte. I have to admit, I don’t know _anything_ about you. My father didn’t bring you up even _once_ yesterday. I didn’t even know you _existed_ until you showed up.” 

Charlotte took Ophelia’s assault in stride and smiled. “Well of course he didn't. I asked him not too. Yesterday was about you two. I thought work talk would bore you too much on your first day back.” 

“Work talk?” 

“Well yes. The reason I’m here. The tech start up.” 

“The… tech start up?” Ophelia cocked her head to the side and raised an eyebrow. She was genuinely confused. Did this have to do with the winery? 

Charlotte nodded and Ophelia saw a spark in her eyes. She put her fingertips together gently and said, “Yes, it’s my new groundbreaking social media platform. I reached out to Zero Regrets in hopes that they would let me use them as a guinea pig and your father personally wrote me back. He not only wanted to work together but he wanted to invest too. I met him a few times to talk business and, well, here we are now.” 

Ophelia furrowed her brow. If Charlotte was a business partner, then there was nothing to worry about, right? 

The mental image of how Niles stood beside Charlotte last night re-entered Ophelia’s mind, as if reminding her where all of her negativity had come from. His gentle hand, resting just above her butt. People didn't hold coworkers like that. 

“If it’s a technology company, can’t you do a lot of the work over the computer and the phone?” Ophelia asked. “You don’t need to be here in person for social media stuff, right?” 

Charlotte’s laugh sounded like gongs pretending to be triangles. “Well, at first, sure. But we grew to like each other quite a bit. I like spending time with him. He’s very charming, as I’m sure you know.” 

Ophelia smiled to hide the fact that an insatiable darkness was rising in her again. “He is, isn’t he? Almost too charming, one might even say. Though I suppose it’s been a while since he’s had a ‘work friend’ around the house so much.” 

Charlotte blinked. “A while?” she asked, her voice delicate and high pitched. 

“Let’s see…” Ophelia’s voice trailed off and her eyes rolled toward the sky in mock contemplation. “I think the last guy was here… Maybe a week before summer camp? And the person before him couldn’t have been more than a month ago.” Ophelia smiled, brimming with an energy that was so fake she wondered if she was going to be able to pull it off for much longer. “Why, if I hadn’t lived here my whole life, I would think this house has a revolving door on it.” 

The ghost a smile lingered on Charlotte’s lips. “Well, perhaps with all of the extra money your father is going to make off of this start up, we can have one installed for real. That would be fun, wouldn’t it?” 

“Extremely.” 

A painfully long moment stretched between the two of them in which Ophelia and Charlotte just grinned at each other. Ophelia could have remained in this passive aggressive deadlock all day if needed, but Charlotte gasped and said, “Oh I almost forgot! Lunch was just about ready when I left to find you. You are going to join us for lunch, aren’t you?” 

It was a very intentionally pointed remark, referring to how Ophelia had excused herself from breakfast. She probably couldn’t pull it for two consecutive meals without it becoming glaringly obvious to her dad that she was avoiding something. 

“Of course.” Ophelia pulled herself up from the pool where Charlotte was crouched and was careful to be as graceless about it as possible. Charlotte let out a little involuntary shriek as her pristine clothes were dabbled with water. Ophelia held in a giggle and flipped her sopping hair in Charlotte’s direction, writing it out right next to her heels. Charlotte leapt away but Ophelia pretended not to notice. “Let me just get changed and I’ll be right up.” 

Charlotte straightened out her dress and checked her hair. She cleared her throat, looking at the damp spots on her left side. “Yes. I suppose I will go change too.” 

Ophelia grinned. “Aw, but I think that dress makes you look pretty.” She hesitated then added, “Young, even.” 

Charlotte grinned and lightly touched her cheek with one of her perfectly manicured hands. She looked like a shy princess with her lips pursed into a perfectly round little dot and her long eyelashes batting across her cheeks coquettishly. Ophelia wanted to hurl. “Oh? Young, you say?” 

“Yeah. I think I’ve seen kids from the high school wearing stuff like that. It makes you look like you could be my big sister or something.” 

It was almost imperceptible, but Charlotte flinched. “Oh. Thank you.” 

It wasn’t in Ophelia’s nature to be so intentionally cruel. But Ophelia wasn’t there anymore. It was Nina driving the vehicle, and the genuine hurt she felt from the implications of having this woman around was the fuel. 

When Ophelia came down from changing, Charlotte was on the veranda talking loudly into her phone and Niles was inside prepping lunch. His eye was narrowed in careful concentration as he cut a cucumber unevenly. The help hadn’t come back yet. Ophelia almost lost her burst of laughter from around the hand that rose to cover it up, and enough of it sputtered free between her fingers to get his attention. 

“Well hello, stranger,” Niles said, his voice a rumble across the floor. “Where have you been all day?” 

“Just… Exploring,” Ophelia said. She walked around him and sat at the bar that separated the kitchen and the living room. Her legs swung leisurely, innocently, as she snuck a few of the chunkier cucumber slices from his cutting board. 

“Exploring?” 

Ophelia shrugged, trying to keep that nonchalance her sister was so talented at. “Making sure you didn’t change anything while I was gone.” 

“Nothing you can see on the property, sweetheart. But things are going to start changing around here.” 

Ophelia pursed her lips. She fiddled with a cucumber slice for an anxious second then said, “You’re talking about Charlotte’s start up?” 

Niles looked up from his work and smiled softly at her. He looked almost gleeful. Almost. Ophelia worried about how almost it was. “So you haven’t been avoiding her all day? I thought for sure that’s what you meant by ‘exploring’.” 

“No,” Ophelia lied. “We talked a little. It came up. I’m just a little confused, Dad. Why are you getting involved? You’re not a technology guy, you’re a wine guy! Your knowledge is in the grapes and, if you ask me, it should really stay there.” 

“It’s a great opportunity for us, Nina. You should be excited, it’s going to be your inheritance some day. Plus, it gives us an opportunity to see someone other than ourselves.” 

“You really like having her around, don’t you?” Ophelia asked slowly, quietly. 

“Of course I do,” Niles said, resuming his chopping. “She’s smart and friendly. She really adds that woman’s touch to this house. And she helped me get through the last couple of months.” Niles’ blue eye met her green ones and they glistened with adoration. “I missed you a lot, kiddo. She kept me company.” 

Ophelia held his gaze. She had missed him too. Her whole life she had missed him. And the woman cackling on the phone outside was going to take him away from her again. “Well I’m back,” she said, cracking a smile. “Guess she can leave now!” 

Niles’ face fell. “Nina, that’s not really how it works.” 

“Oh fine, I guess she can stay for lunch.” And before he could respond, Ophelia hopped up from the bar, grabbed the half-made salad he was working on, and ran to the outdoor table with the pretense of setting up. 

It was only the afternoon and Ophelia was already feeling pretty worn down. Lunch didn’t help at all, of course. On the one hand, she felt like she had the mental upper hand on Charlotte. On the surface, Charlotte appeared to be a flighty, oblivious pretty girl. Of course her dad had called her smart and she owned a tech company, but Ophelia couldn’t understand how or why. She fell too easily for Ophelia’s verbal traps, traps that caused Niles to look at her with a threatening eyebrow raised. 

It Charlotte was fighting back, it was in how she touched Niles. Almost every time Ophelia said something passive aggressive, she would snake her manicured hands over his bicep or across his shoulder, somewhere Ophelia could see it. At least once she ran her fingers through his hair. Ophelia tried not to think about where her hands went when she couldn’t see them. 

Midway through lunch, Ophelia switched her tactics. Instead of focusing on attacking Charlotte, she tried to keep Niles’ attention on her as best she could. After all, she had been avoiding Charlotte all day and with that territory came also inadvertently avoiding him. She talked about the things Nina had taught her, the winery, the help that were due to return soon, and, of course, the camping trip. 

“Camping trip?” Charlotte asked, clearly clueless. 

“Oh he didn’t tell you?” Ophelia asked, pursing her lips triumphantly as she smirked. “It’s a pretty important tradition we have. It’s like, a huge deal.” 

Niles rolled his eye. “It’s an annual trip Nina and I take. We hike the mountains and then camp by the lake and fish.” 

Charlotte looked mildly horrified so Ophelia doubled down. “It’s so freeing to be out in the open with the animals and the dirt and the bugs. We really like it. A lot. Don’t we dad?” 

Niles shot her a look, but before he could say anything Charlotte said, in a squeaky voice. “Oh, well, I’ve never really been one for the outdoors. But I’m sure I can tough it up for one small trip.” 

All pretense of passive aggression were shot out of Ophelia’s mind. How dare this woman invite herself to her sacred bonding ritual with her dad! Sure, maybe Ophelia had never done it before either, but it was her tradition to borrow from Nina, not Charlotte’s! 

“It’s really just kind of a family thing,” Ophelia said firmly. She quoted word for word how Nina had described the trip to her. “Zero’s only. Sorry. No family friends allowed.” 

Niles and Charlotte shared a concerning look just then, in which Charlotte delicately touched her face in mild horror and said, “Oh no, Niles have you not told her yet?” 

Ophelia felt her heart sink into her gut as Niles turned toward her, slowly. He reached across the table and grasped her hand and said, “Nina, we need to talk.” 

Ophelia tried to swallow, but there was something blocking her throat. She felt the tears already threatening to burst free. She had to get out of there. She couldn’t hear what her father was about to say to her. It would ruin everything and make it all so much more real. If he said what she thought he was going to say, it would confirm that Ophelia had been fighting a battle she had already lost. 

She needed an out for now. And that probably meant avoiding her dad for another few hours, at least until people came back to the vineyard tomorrow. Then maybe he would be too distracted to say anything. 

“Uh yeah. Of course, I just…” Ophelia stood up from the table suddenly. Both Charlotte and Niles were watching her intently as she struggled to find a good excuse. “I… I just realized I never finished unpacking. I should go do that real quick! It’s going to bother the hell out of me until it’s done, but, uh, we’ll catch up later!” 

“Nina!” Niles called after her, but Ophelia was already slamming the door of the house behind her and making a beeline for anywhere she could get far away from them. 

*** 

Ophelia thought the stars would calm her. And in some respects, she was comforted. The view was so much more beautiful in the country than it was in London. She couldn’t believe how much of the cosmos she could see just from sitting on the roof. 

Despite the twinkling lights filling up the night sky like a large city all in its own, Ophelia had never felt so alone. 

She didn’t have her papa or her grandmother or her best friend. She didn’t have her sister. But most horribly, she didn’t have her dad. The man she had traveled so far to meet and get to know was so far out of her reach. There was a woman standing between them and Ophelia couldn’t get around her. 

In the middle of the starry expanse the moon bore down on Ophelia’s negativity. She could practically feel the thousands of miles separating her from her sister. She took a deep breath and tried to banish the thought. She needed to take her own advice. The moon wasn’t a symbol of their distance. It was a symbol of their unity. They were never too far apart, as long as they were working together. Nina was depending on her to pull her weight. 

Ophelia needed to examine the situation with a clear mind. She lined up the facts. Niles and Charlotte were probably dating. That much was obvious, though they had been dancing around it all day. It wasn't the end of the mission. They could be broken up. Ophelia just had to put a little more effort into it than she anticipated. She was up to the challenge. 

Ophelia’s hair was extra wavy from being in braids all day. She ran her fingers through it absently as her mind wandered off to strategize. She was just wondering if Niles had a type (blondes) when a voice said below her “Ah, I thought I might find you out here,” and startled her out of her concentration. 

To her horror, Niles’ head was poking out of her window below. His chin rested on his hand and he looked bemused. For a heart stopping moment, Ophelia wondered if her hair not being in braids anymore would somehow reveal her secret identity (as if he knew how she typically wore it), but he just said, “I like it when you wear your hair like that. Mind if I come up and brush it like I used to when you were little?” 

“N-No,” Ophelia squeaked, trying to get her hammering heart under control. “Uh, I mean, whatever. It’s whatever. Do what you want.” 

Niles pulled himself up through the window and onto the roof just as she had half an hour ago. He already had a brush in his hands and Ophelia wondered if he had been watching her before he said anything. She was silently thankful that, for once, she hadn’t been muttering her musings out loud to herself. Nina immersion had saved her yet again. 

Niles was silent as he took a spot behind Ophelia and started playing with her hair. It felt nice. For a moment, Ophelia closed her eyes and pretended to be a little girl again. She pretended that this had always been her life, that her dad had always been around to pamper her like this. She was envious of Nina for being able to grow up with moments like these, but then acknowledged that there were probably things Nina was experiencing about her own day to day life in England that were making her envious too. It was cruel that they had both been forced to live only half a childhood. 

Niles hummed a wordless tune as he worked. The sky was clear and tranquil above them and the summer night air was mild. Ophelia had to drag herself out of bliss to start the conversation she didn’t want to but needed to have in this private moment with Niles. 

“Dad, are you and Charlotte together?” Her voice was so small, reluctant. 

Niles paused his humming and after a beat said plainly, “Yes.” 

“Oh.” Ophelia’s voice cracked. Her eyes fell to her hands and her shoulders slumped in defeat. She tried to remind herself that this wasn’t the end of the world. Dating was not as bad as it could be. She should have considered herself lucky. 

But then Niles went on. 

“I know this seems sudden. You've been at camp so you haven’t been able to get to know her like I have. But she’s not just some stranger. We’ve grown very close. And I’ve…” He took a deep breathe. Ophelia held hers. “I’ve asked her to join our family.” 

Niles’ brushing had slowed and Ophelia took the opportunity to twist her body around and face him. Her green eyes were wide and round with fretful curiosity. She was teetering on the precipice between a dream and nightmare. “In what way?” she asked, horrified of the answer. 

Niles didn’t smile as he said, “I asked her to marry me.” 

This was it. This was the worst case scenario. Ophelia plunged into the nightmare. Her blood started to boil. 

“You’re going to marry a woman you just met?!” she howled, letting her voice hit fever pitch. “Why would you do that? Dad, you’ve never dated someone for more than a few months! This isn’t like you!” 

Niles pursed his lips in a frown. “Well, Charlotte isn’t like the other people. Those relationships were just for fun, but I’m serious this time. And this isn’t just for me. I’m doing this for you too, Nina. I know how lonely it can get around here when it's just the two of us in this big house. Charlotte is what we need right now.” 

“What if she’s not though?!” Ophelia’s voice was starting to crack. “What if what we need is… Someone like my other father?” 

Shock ripped through Niles’ expression, but it didn’t linger. After he had a second to digest Ophelia’s words, a hard resolve took over again. “Why would you bring that up now?” 

Ophelia’s eyes were watering. She looked back down at her hands in an effort to hide it. “I just thought I was the only girl in your life.” 

“I have room for two, Nina.” 

Ophelia didn’t know how to tell him that she needed him to keep that second spot free for when he realized she wasn’t Nina. 

She shook her head and took a sneaky opportunity to brush away some of the tears. “I’m sorry for wigging out,” she mumbled as she stood up. “I’ll sleep on it. Night.” 

Niles sighed but he didn’t fight it. He tucked her into bed, kissed her forehead and then left. And as soon as his footsteps had faded from the hallway, Ophelia leapt up and locked her bedroom door. 

*** 

_“I’ve been thinking about names for children lately,” Odin said, completely apropos of nothing._

_Niles looked up from the TV he was pretending to watch. He knew if he didn’t indulge his husband, the man would just dive into an unstoppable rant with himself. His ideas were unquenchable unless you caught them early and engaged them for a while._

_Niles knew that about Odin, even though they had only been married for a week. Had only known each other for two. “Why on Earth would you be thinking about something like that?” he asked, bemused._

_“After pouring over my lists for days and days I think I have finally narrowed it down to one name for the girls. Are you prepared for this, Niles? Have you steeled yourself in preparation for the name of what could be your future progeny?”_

_“Sure,” Niles lied. “Lay it on me.”_

_Odin paused for dramatic effect, fanning his hands out in front of him before he proclaimed, “Nina.”_

_It was a pretty name and Niles nodded his head in approval. But in all honesty, it felt a little… anticlimactic. “Interesting choice for you,” he mused outloud, hand on his chin. “I thought for sure you would come to me with something like Hermia or Ophelia.”_

_Odin’s eyes widened. “I hadn’t even considered- Niles have you been harboring a secret knack for bestowing names?” Niles grinned but didn’t have a chance to respond before Odin was thinking out loud again, talking quickly and very seriously to himself. “But now I find myself in a predicament. I love the name Nina but I also quite like the name Ophelia as you suggested. What should we do, Niles, if we have a girl? How will I choose between two legendary names?”_

_“Maybe we’ll get lucky and have twins,” Niles said offhandedly. He turned back to the TV and added, “I’ve read that it’s more likely in insemination.”_

_Niles didn’t quite register how silent Odin had become until the cushion beside him on the couch dipped. He turned and found his husband, eyes bright with hope and curiosity, peering at him expectantly. “You’ve researched it.”_

_Niles’ stomach flopped suddenly. He had thought about it. But he hadn’t said anything to Odin. Just two weeks ago he had been living a life where it felt like such a distant concept. But that had been then. Things had changed so much in such a short amount of time._

_“A little,” Niles grumbled._

_“Do you want to?” Odin asked, his gaze intense. “Have kids?”_

_“With you?... I don’t think it would be so bad.”_

_Odin smiled then and it was like looking directly into the sun. “Me too. So lets do it. Let’s go talk to professional tomorrow and start looking for a surrogate.”_

_“Tomorrow?!”_

_“Yes!” Odin said, emphatically. “Why wait Niles? We’re as ready as we’ll ever be. Also, it’s going to take nine months to create a child and I can scarcely wait even that long! Lets get started now.”_

_Despite himself, Niles grinned. This was crazy. But then so was everything else that had happened in the past two weeks. What reason did he have to slow down now when Odin was still charging ahead? He had to keep up no matter what._

_“You’re right,” he said. He reached for Odin’s face and cupped his cheek with every intention of drawing him close. Before he did though, he whispered against Odin’s lips, “Let's have a baby.”_

_Their kiss was slow, tender and sure. And when they parted, Niles almost couldn’t help himself. He loved this man so much. He had to be teased. So while Odin was breathless, his eyes mostly closed, his breath hot on Nile’s mouth, Niles said in a husky tone, “What’ll we do if we have a boy, though?”_

_In a flash, Odin frantically ran up the stairs to find his journal, leaving Niles to howl with laughter couch. That was the moment he knew for certain that this, above all else, would never be a decision he came to regret._

*** 

Niles had told his daughter that he had room in his heart for one more person. But that had been a lie. The truth was, there was space for two more. Space that had left him almost entirely empty for a long time. 

Niles sat up in his bed, unable to sleep while his mind was still reeling from his conversation on the roof. Next to him, Charlotte breathed steadily. He hoped she was dreaming, that her state of mind was far more peaceful than his own. He watched her for just a moment, her face and hair golden under the dim lamp light. She had the most objectively beautiful features he had ever seen on a person. She looked like a doll, and almost as fragile as one. 

Despite his words, Niles wasn’t entirely confident that Charlotte could fill either hole in his heart. But he saw no other options. Charlotte was smart, beautiful and gentle. On paper, she was everything he could hope for in a wife and mother for his daughter. And it wasn’t like Odin was coming to California any time soon. It wasn’t like Niles was ever going to see his daughter with the poetic name, the name he had picked out, ever again. 

Nina had to learn to be okay with this, just as Niles did. 

*** 

As soon as Ophelia was certain that her dad was on the other side of the house, fast asleep, she made a collect call overseas. A little bit of her ache was soothed when she heard her twin’s voice echo at her through the earpiece, but Ophelia knew she couldn’t relish in it. These were dire times. 

“We have an emergency,” she said as soon as she had the confirmation that Nina had procured complete privacy. “Dad is getting married.” 

Nina was silent on the other line for a second, then laughed nervously. “Haha, good one sis.” 

“I’m serious, Nina,” Ophelia urged. “Her name is Charlotte and Dad is completely gaga over her.” 

Nina blew a harsh raspberry into Ophelia’s ear. “Never heard of her,” Nina hissed. “Besides, Dad is gay.” 

“Clearly not as gay as you think.” 

“He would never betray me like that.” 

Ophelia rolled her eyes. She didn’t have time for banter. This was war and she needed troops on the ground immediately! “You haven’t met this woman. She’s an actual succubus. They’re inseparable. I’ve only been here two days and I’m already sick to death of it.” 

“What do you expect me to do about it, Ophelia? Fly to your rescue?” 

“Yes!” Ophelia exclaimed in an excited hush. “I need you to get Papa on the first plane to California. My words aren’t going to be enough to convince Dad that Charlotte is wrong for him, he needs to see a better option in the flesh.” 

Nina was silent for a long moment. A concerningly long moment. Ophelia had to prompt her with a, “Nina?” after it went on too long. 

“I can’t come back yet, Ophelia. I’m sorry. I need more time with Papa. I’m just starting to get to know him. Too much is happening here I… You’ll just have to figure it out.” 

“Nina, there’s nothing I can do by myself, his mind is-” 

Ophelia was cut off by a dial tone. She pulled the phone away from her ear and glared at it. Maybe the call had been dropped, but she was suspicious. She didn’t sleep after that. 

In the morning, Ophelia wandered downstairs early. The sun had barely broke over the horizon. Niles and Charlotte must have still been asleep (and yes, Charlotte had stayed the night, Ophelia confirmed by her car parked out front) because the house was completely silent. It was vast and empty. Like it was a metaphor for how Ophelia was feeling. 

She fixed herself a healthy breakfast then sat at the bar and started to eat. She didn’t even hear the footsteps across the tile of the entry way until a voice behind her said, “What’s going on?” 

Ophelia almost choked on the apple slice she was in the process of swallowing. She sputtered, forced it down, then whirled around to find a strange man glaring at her. Strange, but familiar. Ophelia knew him from his picture and Nina’s detailed description of him. This was her dad’s former boss and best friend, Leo. 

“Oh! L-Leo! You’re… You’re here! Good morning! It’s been a while!” Ophelia all but shouted her greeting at him. 

Leo glanced around the room then fixed his gaze on her again. “Where’s Niles?” 

“Probably still sleeping. He and Charlotte were up pretty late and-” 

“Okay,” Leo said, cutting her off. “Then where’s Nina?” 

Ophelia closed her mouth, caught off guard. She opened it again with every intention to say that she was right here, but he cut her off. “Nina wouldn’t be awake this early in the morning during summer vacation if her life depended on it. I haven’t seen her eat breakfast in years. And you’re much too loud to be her for any time of the day. So you better tell me what’s going on before I go get Niles.” 

There was probably still time to talk her way out of this. There was no way Leo had realized she was an imposter because of breakfast when the man who raised Nina hadn’t figured it out yet. But her shoulders slumped under the weight of her problems and she realized, rather instantly, that she couldn’t do this alone anymore. Maybe Leo catching her was fate. If that was the case, Ophelia desperately leaned into it. 

“Please,” she whimpered in her regular accent. “Don’t tell Dad. I can’t blow this yet. I just need a little more time.” 

Leo moved closer to her and squinted into her eyes. He was searching her for something. She stayed perfectly still, like prey hiding from a predator. “It’s impossible,” he murmured. “Ophelia?” 

Ophelia’s mouth quirked into an awkward grin. “Nice to meet you?” 

Their unexpected introduction was cut short when Niles padded into the room, yawning and stretching his arms high above his head. His eye blinked open wide when he spotted them. “Leo. When did you get here? And Nina? You’re up early. What’s going on?” 

Ophelia looked to Leo with pleading in her eyes. Her entire life was in his hands now. He met her gaze, and sighed before turning to Niles. “Nina and I were just talking about summer camp,” he said, twisting his tone so that it seemed like Niles was intruding on them. Ophelia’s heart soared. “I came by to make sure everything was going well, but she was the only one awake.” 

With one half of the test passed, Niles turned on Ophelia then and she gulped. Now it was her turn. 

She glanced outside and made a big show of jumping. “Holy crap! Is that the sun?! I didn’t know what time it was, I’ve been up all night writing.” She picked up the remains of her apple and hopped off the barstool. “I guess I should go to bed or something, huh?” 

Niles rubbed his chin. Ophelia could hear his skin scrape against his stubble. “Even though it’s summer, don’t nap all day. It’s bad for you.” 

Ophelia beamed. She had passed too. 

“But, before you go, there’s something I’d like to talk about with both of you,” Niles said. He grabbed her shoulders before she could dash around him. “I guess I should consider myself lucky that you’re both here.” 

Niles steered Ophelia to the couched in the living room and Leo followed. They both sat across from Niles, who perched on the edge of the coffee table and entwined his fingers together. “I told Nina last night that Charlotte and I are engaged. Well, we’ve decided on a date and a venue.” 

Ophelia wiped her gaze. She had to seem impassive. “Oh yeah?” 

“The wedding is going to be in a month,” Niles said, “And we’d like to have it at the hotel where the gala is every year.” 

Ophelia took in a deep breath through her nose. Leo said, “Charlotte has good taste.” 

Niles grinned. “Sure she does. She picked me, after all. Anyway, she’d like to go check it out and I was hoping you’d come with us, Leo, since you know the people that work there better than I do.” 

“I’m incredibly busy, Niles,” Leo said, frowning. 

If there was a person in the room that Ophelia wished could read her thoughts, it was Leo. She intensified her desperation by peering up at him. _Please don’t leave me alone with them,_ she thought, certain that if she thought hard enough she could permeate his brain. _Please!_

“You don’t even have to stay,” Niles said. “Introduce us to some people and then you can leave.” 

Leo sighed heavily. “Fine.” 

One battle one, Niles grinned innocently at Ophelia. “You up for a road trip sweetheart?” 

“Sure, sounds fun,” Ophelia said, hiding behind a weak smile. She was just relieved that Leo was going too. 

Satisfied, Niles stood up from the couch, kissed her on the top of her head, and said, “Okay well I’m going to run out and get donuts. Don’t sleep too long, Nina, or they won’t be hot when you get to them.” 

Ophelia and Leo didn’t move from the couch as they watched Niles get his keys and leave, but as soon as the door shut behind him Leo whispered, “That woman is not here for the right reasons.” 

“You don’t like her?” Ophelia asked. 

Leo squinted in the direction Niles had left. “I don’t have any particular feelings about her as a person. But I’m worried about her motives. And their relationship.” 

Ophelia nodded emphatically. “It’s moving too quickly.” 

“Not that,” Leo said. “Not for Niles. It’s something else I’m worried about. When he was with Odin, your other father, he was different. It's hard to describe. I just have an intuition about it that makes me uneasy.” 

Ophelia’s mouth was dry. Leo, this incredibly smart man that knew Niles better than probably anyone, preferred Odin over Charlotte. Suddenly, her mission didn’t seem so hopeless. 

Feeling validated, Ophelia cleared her throat. “Nina and I are trying to get our parents back together,” she blurted. 

Leo was a smart man and for a halting second, Ophelia thought he would call her insane. But he defied her expectations when he instead smirked and said, “I’m in.” 

The skies cleared. The birds were singing. Ophelia wasn’t alone anymore and the torrential rain blocking her from her goal had made way for a clear path. A rainbow arched through her soul. She had a companion who wanted to help now. There was only one more thing to do. She held out her pinky finger. 

Leo raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you a little old for pinky swears?” 

“You’re never too old to make a promise,” Ophelia hissed. “It is the most sacred of oaths. By entering this contract with me you will be swearing your loyalty and secrecy. We will watch out for each other and see this mission through to the bitter end. Are you up to the challenge?” 

Slowly, Leo’s finger entwined with her. Ophelia beamed and hissed, “The pact is sealed.” 

“Indeed,” Leo agreed, then he quickly snatched his hand back. “Now let's talk logistics. I think I have a good idea. Do you know how your parents met, Ophelia?” 

Ophelia’s eyes widened in excitement. “No!” she breathed. “Please tell me!” 

“They met at the Nohr Gala, the party that my family throws once a year. It’s a huge formal event. So much glitz and glam. A perfect place to fall in love. And since we’re heading to the hotel where it’s usually held, I think it would be a good idea to set your parents up again. Remind them why they chose each other in the first place.” 

“Leo,” Ophelia breathed. “That’s beautiful.” 

Leo nodded. “I know. I can do a lot of the technical work. Make a few phone calls. Obviously it's not the time of year for a gala right now, but I can pull it off. The only thing I need you to do is get Odin here.” 

“Oh,” Ophelia looked down at her hands, defeated. “About that… I talked to Nina last night. She’s in England, you see, with my Papa. I told her about Charlotte and I tried to get her to come but… she told me no. And then she hung up on me.” 

Leo glared at Ophelia and she truly worried for a moment that he was mad at _her_. Until he spoke. “Let _me_ talk to Nina.” 

*** 

It had been another lovely day in London for Nina. She woke up to a phone call from her sister, badgering her to move the mission along too quickly, and that had put a sour taste in her mouth, but otherwise it had been great. After the many adventures she had been having around the city, it was nice to spend some time at home with her grandmother and her papa. And they had both been doting after her all day. She didn’t think anything could ruin her mood again. 

In the middle of playing a board game together, the phone started to ring. Lissa, offered to answer it and disappeared into the hallway. Nina paid her no mind and continued a conversation with her papa until Lissa’s head poked around the corner wearing a confused expression. 

“Ophelia, dear, there’s an American man on the phone for you.” 

Nina quirked an eyebrow. “A man?” she echoed. 

“Yes. He said he works for Camp Deep Realms. Something about a doll and a forest? Did you leave something there?” 

Nina’s heart fell into her stomach. She knew exactly what her grandmother was trying and failing to convey. It was a code. A code from Leo. 

Leo and Nina had a fair enough relationship. They both had an interest of looking after Niles, but other than that they didn't have a lot in common. Except for one memory that was exclusively theirs. Once when she was little, she had gotten into a fierce argument with her dad about wanting a dog. He told her she wasn’t responsible enough and she had fled into the vineyard, stubbornly refusing to go home until she was the given the opportunity to prove she could be trusted. That was when Leo showed up with a doll. He called it Forrest and told Nina that she had to protect it. She never did get a dog, but she had watched over that doll for years, dutifully filling Leo in with updates every time he came to the house. 

The doll was at home now. She hadn’t brought it to camp, of course, because she was grown up now. But that was the clue, the hidden hint that Leo sent her through Lissa to tell her that he was on the other line. 

Nina couldn’t help but feel like she was in trouble. 

“Oh! I think I need to take that! Thank you grandmother!” Nina all but shouted as she hopped up from the table and ran into the hallway. She grabbed phone, looked around to make sure no one watching, and then ran up to her room for privacy. 

“Leo!” She hissed into the receiver as soon as her door was locked behind her. “I’m so sorry I-” 

“You’re not my child,” Leo cut her off. He sounded stiff, but what else was new? At least he didn’t seem particularly angry. “This switching business will be for your dad to deal with later. Right now, though, we have more important things to discuss. Like your father’s engagement.” 

Nina’s mouth fell open. “So that’s real? Dad really is engaged to a woman?” 

“It’s incredibly real. Nina, I know having siblings is new to you, but take my advice. You have to trust your sister above all else. Sibling relationships can the most power bonds in the world if you nurture them well. I’ve always regretted keeping your sister a secret from you. But we have a chance to correct all of that now. You were brought into this world together, so see this mission through the same way.” 

That morning, when Ophelia had called frantic and pleading, Nina had gone back to her roots of self-preservation. Now, she hung her head in shame. “You’re right, Leo, I'm sorry.” 

“Don’t apologize to me, apologize to her. Hold on.” 

A second later, Leo’s voice was replaced with Ophelia’s timid, “Nina?” 

“Ophelia… I’m so sorry. I got caught up in the moment with Papa and I… I didn’t mean to abandon you like that. Will you ever forgive me?” 

“Of course,” Ophelia said. Her smile was audible. “I forgive you. Do you believe me now about Charlotte?” 

“Yes. If Leo says it’s happening, then it's happening. But don’t we still have time? I mean, I’ve never met the woman so it’s not like he can be getting married within the year.” 

“A year? Try a month.” 

“What?! They’re getting married in a month?!” Nina all but shouted. 

“Yes, but don’t panic just yet. Leo has a plan,” Ophelia said. “It’s a good plan. But we need you to get Papa here. To the hotel where the Nohr Gala is held. This might be our only chance.” 

Nina looked forlornly at the bedroom door. Her adventure in England was coming to an end too soon. It was a bummer, but some things were more important. And Leo was right, she had to trust Ophelia above all else in the world. 

“Can I tell him in the morning?” Nina asked. 

“Yes. Please get here quickly though.” 

Before she hung up, the phone was handed back to Leo who said. “Good luck, Nina. We need to get started with preparations on this end, so goodbye for now.” 

“Wait, Leo!” She paused, confirmed that the phone was still on the hook, then said, “Thank you. You don’t know what it means to me that you’re helping Ophelia. When I came to London I had Soleil, but Ophelia went to California with no one. Thank you for looking out for my sister and being on our side.” 

Leo paused and said, “Yes, well. I just want Niles to be happy. See you soon.” 

The phone beeped at Nina and she held it off the hook for a moment while she processed what had just happened. Leo had found out about the switch and he was cool about it. Niles really was marrying a strange woman named Charlotte. And she still had a lot to learn about what it meant to not be so alone in the universe. 

If everything went well, she would get to see Ophelia again soon. But she would have to tell Odin who she really was first. 

Nina took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves then moved to leave her room. She had one last evening with her papa, pretending as though nothing was wrong. She was going to enjoy it to its fullest. 

Or so she thought until she opened the door and Lissa almost fell on top of her. Nina’s blood turned cold. 

“I knew it,” Lissa hissed. “I knew it... I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!” 

“Shh!” Nina hissed, trying to cover her excitable grandmother’s mouth. “Where is Papa?” 

“He’s downstairs, he doesn't know a thing, but _I_ do! Oh, you’re Nina?! Oh my god!” Lissa very suddenly enveloped Nina in a hug. “Oh my sweet child, I tried to stop them from doing that horrible thing to you and your sister- Oh! Oh my god! Is Ophelia really in California?!” 

“Yes,” Nina admitted. Her face was hot. This wasn’t at all like confessing to Laslow, she could barely keep up. 

Lissa released her and looked into her eyes, her gaze intense. “You have to tell me _exactly_ what happened.” 

So Nina did. She pulled Lissa into her room, shut the door, and jumped right into her story. It was a very quick, abridged version of how she had met Ophelia at summer camp, realized they were twins, and then decided to switch places. She talked about their mission to get their parents back together and Lissa was dutifully quiet for all of it. When she was done, Nina said, “Laslow and Soleil know, of course. And my dad’s best friend, Leo, in California. And now, I guess, you. That’s it.” 

Lissa sighed. “Well I suppose it's fine as long as I’m not the very last one to know. But we need to tell your Papa. He deserves to be included.” 

Nina’s mouth gaped open. “But… I told Ophelia I would in the morning-” 

Lissa shook her head. “I support what you girls are trying to do, but I can’t sit and watch you lie to him for the rest of the night.” 

There was no winning this battle. Nina deflated. “Okay,” she said. “Let me psyche myself up.” 

Lissa smiled softly. “I love you, Nina. I’ve loved you since the day you were born. And so has he. Don’t be afraid.” With that, Lissa kissed Nina on the head and moved to the door. “I’ll prepare some tea. Come down when you’re ready.” 

*** 

Nina took a deep breath at the threshold of the den. Her papa and grandmother were laughing over tea, one of them completely oblivious to the atmosphere. Nina plodded into the room and sunk into Odin’s side on the couch, burying her nose in his shirt. 

“Whoa,” he chuckled. “I didn’t even hear you come in, Ophelia. Those are some impressive stealth skills you are developing.” 

“Papa, I need to talk to you about something,” Nina grumbled, still with her fake British accent. She was reluctant to let it go. 

Odin blinked down at her, but before he could say anything in response, Lissa stood up. “I think I’ll give you to some time,” she said before slipping out into the kitchen. 

A moment of silence stretched between them before Odin pulled himself away so that Nina could no longer hide her face from him. His smile was gentle. It made her want to cry. She so desperately didn’t want to disappoint this man. “What is is, darling? You know you can tell me anything.” 

Nina, feeling incredibly shy, couldn’t meet his gaze. She looked at her hands instead as she said quietly, “What did you teach me about lying, Papa?” 

Odin considered it for a moment, his lips pursed in thought. “I believe I taught you from a young age that sometimes, lies can be powerful spells if used correctly. But it's a tricky sort of magic that must be handled with care.” 

“Oh, good. Because I’ve told a very big lie recently. I’m sure that I handled it with care but… I’m afraid that once the person I’ve been lying to figures it out, they won’t agree.” 

“Can you tell me who it is you’ve been lying to?” 

Nina nodded. She looked up at Odin without moving her head, her eyes wide and welling up with tears already. “I lied to you, Papa.” 

Odin paused, but his gentle smile did not waver. After a pause to process, he said, “You know I will love you matter what, don’t you Ophelia?” 

That almost did it, almost set Nina right off the edge. She clamped her eyes together and pressed them into her knuckles for good measure. In a weak voice she managed to proclaim, in her normal desperate tone, “I’m not Ophelia!” 

“Oh, of course, how callous of me. Ophelia Dusk the heir to my-” 

“No, Papa, I’m not any version of Ophelia.” Nina wiped her tears away, pushed her cowardice as far down as she could, and met his gaze steadily as she finally said, “Ophelia is in Napa, California.” Odin’s eye grew very wide but he didn’t say a word, so Nina finished her confession with, “I’m her twin. Your other daughter. I’m Nina.” 

Odin was silent for long enough that Nina worried he really would be mad at her. Then, rather suddenly, he grasped her shoulders, smoothed her hair out of her face and her tears from her eyes, and whispered, “Nina? It’s really you?” 

Nina nodded, her eyes welling up with fresh tears to replace the ones he had tried to banish. “Yes, Papa. It’s me.” 

“Oh,” he hissed, pulling her into his chest. He sniffed the top of her head, then kissed it and hummed and even though she couldn't see his face, Nina could tell by the way his voice cracked that he was crying. “My baby girl. It’s really you, my northstar. My Nina. I can’t believe it.” He pulled her back and looked into her face again, searching her for a clue. “I truly can’t believe it. How? How is this possible?” 

“Ophelia and I met at camp,” Nina said, sniffling back her own tears. “She wanted to meet dad and I wanted to meet you, so we switched places. I’m sorry for not telling you.” 

“So Ophelia is with… Oh no…” 

Nina nodded. “A-Are you going to switch us back?” 

Odin petted her hair again. He seemed to be trying to comfort her, though the mix of sadness, happiness, and unbridled horror on his expression led her to believe that he needed much more comforting in this moment than she did. “Unfortunately… Yes. I believe so. Or at least your… Other father and I… Should have a talk I suppose.” 

Nina tried to look upset about the idea. “Okay… If that’s what’s best.” 

Odin stroked her cheek with his thumb and then smirked and said, “In the morning, we’ll work out the details. For now, how about you and I just have a talk? Forget about all the drama and get to know each other. The _real_ each other. Nina? What do you say?” And Nina beamed up at him, because truly that was all she had wanted her whole life.


	5. I Love You For Sentimental Reasons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY ZERODIN WEEK ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND  
> Enjoy this chapter. I uploaded 2 useless memes for it on my twitter so check that out if you're interested. And if you're not already, subscribe to Dorkpatroller because if you like this fic you are going to LOVE what she uploads tomorrow morning. *rubs hands together* i'm literally so excited  
> Happy early birthday Niles, thank u for my life. To the rest of you, enjoy the chapter :) Don't forget to leave a kudos or a comment if you like it~ it literally gives me life~ you're all amazing either way though~

Laslow watched in horror as the contents of yet another glass slipped down his best friend’s throat. Odin made a face, then released a satisfied gasp. “This is really good wine, Laslow. In fact, it’s so good, it might be my new best friend. This wine hasn’t kept secrets from me about the identity of my daughter!”

Laslow rolled his eyes. “I was going to tell you,” he lied. “I just thought I’d give her the opportunity to do it herself first first.” 

“You are a liar,” Odin said smugly as he poured another glass. The last glass, actually, from that bottle. He had inhaled the whole thing alarmingly quickly. “I know my mother made her tell me. Oh well, you can make it up to me by joining me on this courageous journey I have to make abroad. I’m going to need all the support I can get. And bring Soleil too. She seems to get along with Nina and maybe she can convince Ophelia to come home easier. Do you think she’s having fun? Do you think it’s going to be hard to convince her to come home?” 

The final glass of wine vanished in one quick shot. Odin started to choke as some of it got lost in his airways and Laslow patted him on the back dutifully, like a good friend who hadn’t just had his honor brought into question. “I haven’t seen you drink like this in a while, Odin. Are you going to be okay?” 

Odin flopped backwards onto his bed. He flung one arm across his vision dramatically and whimpered, “I don’t know. Am I really about to go to America? Am I really going to have to face… _Niles_ … After all these years…” 

It was the first time, actually, since Nina had come clean about her deceit, that Odin had said Niles’ name out loud. As if saying it would cement this whole situation into reality and he had been avoiding it. 

He was willing to admit that, at the very least, this was a weird blessing in disguise. He had been reunited with Nina, something he didn’t think would happen until she was much older and had tracked him down on her own. He had done a lot of practicing and a lot of thinking about what he would say to her. Of course, in all of his daydreams she had been in her late 20’s and much more mature. But she wasn’t an adult now. She was still so small, so precious. He wanted to cry every time he thought about her, replaying her confession over and over in his mind since the night before. 

Odin had just always assumed that even when he would be reunited with his daughter, Niles wouldn’t have to be involved. That they could each continue on, ignoring the fact that the other even existed. Because being apart for so long made the idea of coming back together seem unbearable. 

A gentle hand fell on Odin’s thigh. He sat up heavily and found Laslow giving a smile what was, as always, instant medicine on Odin’s wounded heart. “You’re going to be alright, mate. We don’t have to make it a big deal. We’ll just pop in, drop off Nina, pick up Ophelia, then pop right back out again. You won’t even know he’s there.” 

Odin groaned and rubbed his temples. “Perhaps you’re right. I should just pack so that we can leave. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can come home.” 

“That’s the spirit,” Laslow said, dryly. 

Odin stood up and moved to his closet to resume what had once been packing, before the bottle of wine had been opened. But he stopped halfway, suddenly captivated by his own reflection in the mirror. “Laslow,” he said. “Do you think… Have I held up well?” 

“Odin Dark, are you asking me if I think you’re hot?” 

Odin tilted his head and blushed. “Well, I wouldn’t put it exactly like-” 

“Well, while we both know that I _usually_ prefer the fairer gender, I wouldn’t say that you’re the ugliest bloke I have the pleasure of seeing daily,” Laslow said. He stood up suddenly from the corner of the bed and bounced past Odin to the closet. He wasn’t gone for more than a breath before he returned with a particularly tight pair of pants and said, “Especially when you wear these,” before dropping them unceremoniously in Odin’s suitcase. Odin was already on his way to the kitchen to get more wine. 

The plane ride itself did not help at all with Odin’s state of mind. That was to say, there was more alcohol available. _Much_ more alcohol. And even though Odin had really only kept wine in his house for his mother and he didn’t drink that much anymore, he soaked up the liquor like someone who went to the pub daily. Anyone with a marginally better constitution than him might have been able to handle it. Odin’s idea of ‘handling’ it was to all but fall out of the taxi when they finally arrived in California. 

“Wooow,” he hissed, his eyes wide and his head fuzzy as he looked up at the beautiful hotel. “Have you ever seen something so grand, Laslow?” 

“Yes,” Laslow said as he supported Odin’s weight. Soleil and Nina crowded around them, exchanging worried glances with him and each other. “We’ve been here before. The night you meant Ni-” 

“Sh! Shut up!” Odin barked suddenly. “Don’t say his name! I am on vacation and I will not be made to think of that-” 

“Papa,” Nina said. “You know he’s here right?” 

Odin beamed down at her, all of the love in the world in his gaze. He patted her cheek and said nonsensically, “And we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. Now. Is there a bar in this place?” 

He pushed off Laslow and staggered into the hotel. Laslow and the girls hung back for just a moment, their jaws open wide in horror. 

“This is pretty bad,” Laslow said. “If he runs into Niles that like…” 

“It’ll ruin the whole plan,” Soleil finished. 

“And I’ll have made him pack those hot pants for nothing.” 

Nina shook her head, banishing the bad possibilities from her mind. She had both Laslow and Soleil in on her and Ophelia’s plot. Ophelia and Leo were also here, somewhere. They were five against two, well three if you counted whoever this mysterious woman her dad wanted marry was. Either way, the odds were in their favor. Odin’s drunken mess wasn’t going to be the end of this heist. 

First thing was first, if they were going to orchestrate when and where their parents were going to meet themselves, Nina had to regroup with her sister. And Odin had to be kept out of sight for now. 

“Laslow, you’re on drunk duty. Check into the room then take Papa there and lock him in until he sobers up. Soleil, help me find Ophelia. I can’t see her if she’s with my dad, he still doesn’t know about any of this.” 

Laslow tilted his head, concerned. “You haven’t told Niles?” 

“No,” Nina said. “Leo said it would be a good idea to keep him in the dark until the last possible moment.” 

“So when is that? When are you telling him?” 

“Uh…” Nina searched the sky for a plausible response, but she only found the truth. “I don’t think… we are… Until the party tonight at least.” 

“Nina-” 

“Don’t worry about it, Uncle Laslow,” Nina said, trying to brush it off and seem as casual as possible. “This is for the best, trust me. The last thing we need is that woman finding out and sabotaging us.” 

Unwilling to hear any other arguments over what they thought was best, Nina grabbed Soleil’s hand and dragged her into the hotel. She shouted, “Just trust me and find Papa!” over her shoulder before they disappeared completely. 

She made it sound so easy. Take the drunk Odin up to the room and leave him there. Surely at some point he would be coming down from his inebriation and would want to take a nap. But as soon as Laslow, who had also been left to wrestle with the leftover baggage that the bellhop hadn't taken from them, stepped into the hotel he realized he was in trouble. Odin was gone. He wasn’t milling around the main lobby like Laslow expected. 

“He’s probably at the bar,” Laslow mumbled to himself as he retrieved their hotel keys from the front desk. “I have to stop him before-” 

Laslow paused in his ramblings when he saw Nina poking her head surreptitiously around a corner. No, he realized quickly, not Nina. The child was wearing braids, like Nina had worn on their plane flight, but she was not wearing the same clothes. 

Whatever Ophelia was doing, she was sneaking around as she did it. Laslow felt the urgency of her stealth and hid behind a pillar himself, as best as he could with three big bags hanging off of his body, and hissed, “Ophelia!” 

She perked her head up, startled, and glared at him. It took her a moment to banish her horror and register who he was, but when she did she hurried over to him and said, “Uncle Laslow! You’re here?! Where is Nina? My dad and Charlotte are wandering around here somewhere if they see her-” 

“She went to find you,” Laslow said. “Or at least, I think she was going to have Soleil find you while she hid. Listen, this whole plan that you two have cooked up is a little bit too much if you ask me.” 

“I know it's stressful,” Ophelia said, taking a bag from him as she did, as if trying to literally lighten his burden. “But thank you for playing along. We can’t tell my dad yet or the party tonight will be ruined.” 

“Alright, I get it. Your sister said the same thing. Geez, it's hard to believe you two were raised separately, you’re so similar.” Ophelia beamed at what she considered to be a compliment. “Let's just find your Papa and then get to bed. I’m so exhausted from the flight.” 

Instantly, Ophelia’s face fell. “Papa is missing?” 

“Uh, well, I wouldn’t call it missing yet. We just got here he can’t have gone far-” 

“He absolutely _cannot_ run into Dad and Charlotte. We need to find him. I’m calling Leo as a precaution.” 

Just like that, Ophelia handed back the bag she had taken and Laslow grunted under its weight as Ophelia whipped out her phone. She quickly asked Leo to keep dad and Charlotte distracted and when she confirmed that he was going to keep them on the other end of the hotel to look at the courtyard, she whirled on Laslow, fire burning in her eyes. “Where should we check first?” 

Odin wasn’t at the bar. He wasn’t in the lobby. He wasn’t anywhere that Laslow and Ophelia ran, literally _ran_ , as they scoured the hotel. They stayed away from the courtyard of course. Leo had Niles under his watchful eye. But Odin was an unpredictable drunk man on the loose. At this point, the pair of them were just worried about him getting hurt. 

Ophelia was asking a haggard bellhop if he has seen a blonde staggering around recently when she heard her name being shouted. She turned around just in time to catch her sister as their body's collided. 

“Nina!” She gasped between her giggles. The bellhop rolled his eyes and took his chance to escape. “I can't believe it! Thank you for coming.” 

“I’m sorry,” Nina said, pulling back and looking into her sister’s face with truly apologetic eyes. “I should have believed you sooner. We’re supposed to stick together.” 

“You already apologized,” Ophelia said. Her smile could not be shaken. She took her arms out from around Nina and held out a pinky finger. “Let's never let them separate us again.” 

Nina beamed, took her sister’s pinky, and they shook on it. Plainly, simply, but it was the most important pact either of them had ever made. 

After she had had her fill of her twin, who looked eerily just like her while they were wearing the same hairstyle, Ophelia greeted her best friend who had been trailing behind Nina shyly. Laslow caught up too and after a quick round of reunions, a horrible dread descended upon the four of them. 

“Odin wasn’t anywhere we checked,” Laslow said, starting to grow nervous. 

“The only place we haven’t checked is the room?” Soleils suggested. “Maybe your Papa went up there already and is just waiting for someone with a key to show up.” 

“Let's hope that’s the case,” Laslow said as he ushered the three girls into an elevator. They held their breaths as it ascended. If Odin wasn’t standing outside their hotel room, there was only one place left he could be. 

*** 

Niles was watching Charlotte admire a perfectly manicured hedge, trying desperately not to think about the annual Nohr Gala, when Leo said suddenly, “I have a surprise for you tonight.” 

“Oh, delightful,” Charlotte said, pressing her fingers together gleefully. “I love surprises!” 

Niles raised an eyebrow and Leo cleared his throat. He was acting suspiciously generous. “We’re throwing a ball tonight. A small one. Sort of like an off season gala. To celebrate your engagement.” 

This was startling news and Niles was about to object or ask questions, but Charlotte squealed in his ear and lunged toward Leo, grabbing his hands. “Leo that is wonderful news! I love parties! Will your friends all be there?” 

The phrase ‘your friends’ hung in the air. What she meant to ask was, ‘Will important people of wealth and power be coming?’ Niles knew it. Leo knew it. How they digested it was a little differently, though. Niles saw it as Charlotte wanting to network more for her company, and as an investor he had to approve. 

Leo was not so kind in his analysis, but he cleared his throat and played nice. “Yes, a few of them. My family is here for it and several of our connections. It is not the time of year for a gala, but all of the usual attendees who are in town will be here.” 

“This is rather sudden,” Niles said. “Are you sure it's okay?” 

“Yes, Niles, it’s fine. It won’t be anything too over the top, I assure you. Just a little party to celebrate… You.” 

Niles wanted to protest more, but Charlotte’s arms grasped his bicep and her blue eyes were blinking at him excitedly. “We should go to the room and plan what we’re going to wear, don’t you think darling? Fortunately I packed a couple of my best dresses.” 

Niles frowned. “I don’t think I packed-” 

“Oh, don’t worry. I packed some formal clothing for you too.” 

“Hmm. You didn’t know about this, did you?” 

“Of course not!” Charlotte said, sounding only mildly offended. “A lady is simply always prepared!” 

They started to move back toward the hotel the way they had come, but were cut off by Leo. He stepped in front of them and cleared his throat again. Niles worried he was getting sick. “If you’re going back up to the suite,” he started, calmly. “You should take the stairs around back. I think I heard that the elevators are being maintenanced.” 

Charlotte pursed her lips. “That is terribly inconvenient.” 

“Yes, I agree,” Leo said through clenched teeth. “I’m going to go speak to the manager about it.” 

With that, Leo was gone, walking back into the hotel. Niles stared after him as long as he could. Everything had been weird the last few days. Weird with Nina and weird with Leo. He was so close to figuring it out. He wanted to so badly to follow Leo and find out a little bit of what was happening, but Charlotte’s hands around his arms were anchoring him. He looked down at her. 

She was pouting slightly. “Well, we can take the stairs this once I suppose. I can endure it… I don’t think anything can ruin my mood now that I know about the party tonight.” 

And there was that. 

It wasn’t as if Niles hadn’t been to a Nohr Gala at all since Nina had been born. He hadn’t gone to the one right after his break up with Odin, of course. The memories of the night they met were too fresh. But he was Leo’s friend, and for the past few years he had gone dutifully to every Gala he could. It didn’t mean he particularly enjoyed them. Charlotte had brought it up a few times since they started dating, excited at the idea of going to her first one after they were married. But otherwise, he tried not to think about them. 

So as they walked, Niles had to put a great deal of effort into banishing the memories that were tied to the hotel. He tried instead to think about how how lovely Charlotte would look in her dress tonight and how her body felt pressed against his. 

They found the stairs, and then they found an elevator. Niles wondered if Leo had known about it. Charlotte pushed the button, shrugged her shoulders and said, “I suppose Leo was wrong about all the elevators being serviced.” They stepped inside. 

Before the doors could even close behind them, a wicked grin crossed Charlotte’s usually demure features. She snaked her arms around the back of his neck and he leaned down into her, inhaling her perfume and allowing himself to get lost in her eyes. They were baby blue and lovely, though he usually preferred green eyes. She had that soft blonde hair that he loved so much and he combed his fingers through it, trying not to think about how it would feel if it were shorter, like a burst of a halo around her head. And he tried really hard to focus on her giggle and the roll of her body against his and not the image his mind had rudely summoned of Odin, standing in the hallway, waving at him sheepishly. 

Niles’ head snapped up suddenly, pulling away from Charlotte. The elevator was closing, but he tried to keep up with the image, leaning with the door as it slid shut. He blinked multiple times, testing its realness, but it only went away when the door was completely shut. 

Charlotte gently asked him if he was alright, probably because he looked as though he had seen a ghost. Niles couldn’t respond to her. His forehead rested against the side of the elevator, as he had slid completely out of her embrace to chase the impossible mirage he had just seen. Only it wasn’t a mirage. It had been real. 

Odin was here. 

*** 

Accidentally stumbling upon your ex about to make out with some strange woman in an elevator was the most sobering experience Odin had ever endured. 

He took the stairs two at a time and when he reached the floor the man at the front desk had told him his room was on, he had a pounding headache. He didn’t feel as drunk anymore, but he felt gross and heavy and tired. And very, _very_ confused. 

Of course, finding two identical girls standing at the end of the hallway did not help with the dizziness. He grabbed his temples and moaned, “Your predictable horror movie scenes will not defeat me.” 

The girls snapped to attention instantly. They rushed to him, then hesitated before one threw her arms around his waist. “Papa,” she said. “It's me, Ophelia.” 

A wave of emotions washed over Odin as he realized what was happening. His daughter, who he hadn’t seen since he put her on a plane and sent her to summer camp, was back in his arms. She didn’t smell like America’s dusty wine cellars and horse ranches, she just smelled like Ophelia. And now he realized how foolish he had been for not questioning Nina based on her smell alone. He held her in a crushing hug, even though it spiked his headache. 

He didn’t linger on just Ophelia, though. He opened one of his arms and pulled Nina in too. _This_ was what was truly astounding. His girls, both of them, in his arms. He hadn’t seen them together like this since the day he had left. The day he had burst into their nursery, furious at Niles, and mournful over the decision he had to make. Which one to take. Now they were reunited in his arms. He couldn’t help but cry. 

He pushed them back just enough to look at them, one of his hands on one of their shoulders each, reluctant to let either of them go. They were exact identicals and so beautiful standing side by side. “Can you forgive me?” he sobbed. 

“Of course,” Ophelia said, wiping away her own tears. “You just have to promise to never do it again.” 

“Never,” Odin hissed, looking between them. “You’ll always be in each other's lives. I swear it.” 

Nina and Ophelia shared a glance and Odin’s tears stalled. They were up to something. He knew instantly, intrinsically. His parental mind kicked into high gear as Nina said, “There is one more thing you could do to make it up to us.” 

“What is it?” he asked, trying not to let his suspicion show on his face. 

“Tonight we’re having a party,” Nina continued. “Kind of like a mini-Nohr Gala? Dad will be there-” 

“Oh no,” Odin said. He quickly stood up, almost too quickly. The room spun, but he found his feet and stood his ground. “I can’t… A party? Girls did you… Did you plan this?” 

They shared a glance again and Odin couldn’t read it. Their twin sense, a superpower that had laid dormant in them all this time, was impermeable. He felt a new rush of guilt. 

“Please?” said Ophelia. “Just one party. Just one night with him then we can go back to England and sort out the family stuff from afar.” 

Odin looked between them. His heart was broken, but he couldn’t imagine what they were going through. He had lied to them for fourteen years. One night wouldn’t kill him. 

“Okay,” he said, deflating. The girls congratulated each other quietly and he mumbled, “I think I need a nap.” 

At that exact moment, as if waiting for his cue to enter, the door to the room opened and Laslow stepped out with Soleil hovering behind him. “Why don’t you do that?” he said while already shoving Odin inside. “The girls and I will go get you some water and food. Sleep.” 

The door closed and Odin was in darkness. He knew that somewhere in the room was a bed and that he should probably seek it out. But his bones were too tired to take another step. So as soon as he heard the footsteps disappear down the hall, he slid down the door, put his head in his arms, and sighed. 

*** 

Niles had seen Odin. He had seen him clear as day. He hadn't imagined it. Odin was here, in the hotel. 

As soon as they had arrived at their large suite, Niles had put Charlotte to a task and found an excuse to leave. It was clear that she was in the mood for something, but he very suddenly was not. He tried not to make a big deal about it, though. Tried to keep his true intentions and feelings hidden from her. He did _not_ tell her about Odin. 

If Niles was good at anything, other than making wine and being a single parent, it was tracking down people. As a bodyguard for a Nohr, it had been something he did frequently. Track down stalkers or threats and eliminate them before they could touch Leo. He was good at it. Tracking down where Odin’s room was, needless to say, was a piece of cake. 

Niles hadn’t been as nervous as he was standing outside Odin’s quiet hotel room since the day his daughters had been born. He knocked softly. There was no immediate response so he said, “Odin? It's me.” 

Still no response. But Niles heard a shuffle against the door and, if he was pressing his senses, light breathing. His own heart was hammering. 

“You don’t have to respond,” Niles said into the door. “I’m just… I’m shocked. I needed to verify that it’s really you.” 

There was a long pause and Niles thought maybe he wasn’t going to get that conversation he had come for, but then Odin’s voice, soft and cracked, said, “It’s me.” 

It was the most lackluster introduction Niles had ever heard from Odin. But it was him alright. Niles could tell just from his voice that he’d been crying. 

“Are you okay?” Niles asked. 

“No,” Odin said, a little louder. “I don't feel well. I’m not going to open the door.” 

“That’s fine,” Niles said, putting his hand on the door. He flexed his fingers, as if he could grab Odin through it if he tried. He wanted to comfort him. “But if you’re feeling better later, can we meet up? I’d like to talk to you.” 

There was a little burst of noise as Odin chuckled, darkly, and he said, “We’re going to have plenty of time for that tonight.” 

“Tonight?” 

Two little gasps from behind him finally made Niles peel his face away from the door. There was Nina standing beside… Niles’ first inclination was ‘another Nina’ but he knew better. He knew better immediately, and suddenly everything clicked into place. 

“Dad,” hissed Nina, the real Nina. Niles stepped away from the door and held out his arms for her. She accepted the hug and he relished in it. She so often told him how she was too old for hugs these days. 

When he pulled away he said, “Where have you been?” even though he hadn’t realized she had been missing until just now. 

“England,” she said, cringing a little. 

“Ah.” Niles grinned despite himself. He couldn’t believe it. He had been completely fooled. “Then I'm guessing you are…” 

Ophelia stepped around her sister. She was wearing the clothes he remembered her wearing on the trip to the hotel this morning. He had been _completely_ fooled. “I didn’t get a chance to introduce myself when we met,” Ophelia said. “Sorry about that.” 

Niles just smiled and hugged them both. And just like Odin, he felt something powerful in that moment, holding both of his twins. His daughters reunited in his arms. He kissed each of their heads slowly, savoring how they were warm in their own special ways. 

“I know I seem happy right now,” Niles said to them when he was done, keeping his tone as stern as he could. “But you’re both in big trouble. And we need to talk. I need to know _exactly_ what is happening, is that clear?” 

The girls nodded absently and glanced around him. He turned to follow their gaze and saw Odin’s door shut just in time. A weak voice came from behind it. “Yes, girls, please take your Dad somewhere and explain to him what's going on. I’m going to bed.” 

“Rest up Papa,” Nina called, grabbing one of Niles’ hands. 

“Feel better,” said Ophelia as she grabbed the other. 

Reluctantly, Niles let himself be pulled away. But as he did, he clung to one word from their conversation, almost as if it were a promise. 

_Tonight_. 

*** 

The hotel had brought out all the stops for Leo’s party. The ballroom and courtyard that usually set the scene of the gala were blocked off to the regular guests. There was an impressive catered spread, a live band, and attendants running around in formal serving wear. Leo had said it would be a small gathering, but he had been completely underestimated. The party was _packed_ with rich and famous and powerful people. Everyone was in their red carpet best. It was all the glitz and glam Ophelia and Nina could hope for. The perfect stage for a love story. 

Ophelia arrived with Odin, Laslow and Soleil. Immediately, Odin was recognized as the famous fashion designer he was and was swept up into a conversation with some other industry people. Ophelia saw her chance and took it, reeling in Soleil and Laslow. 

“Alright, here is the plan,” she said. “According to Nina, we escaped the day without Charlotte discovering anything. Dad didn’t warn her, for some reason. We can't waste this chance and blow it all now. So Laslow, rendezvous with Leo and keep Charlotte distracted.” 

“Entertain a fair maiden for the evening?” Laslow asked, waggling his eyebrows. “I think I can handle it.” 

Soleil rolled her eyes. “Don’t cheese it up, Dad.” 

“Don’t worry, I won’t hit on her. At least not seriously. I’m not here to flirt tonight, you have my word. The mission is the only thing on my mind.” 

“Okay,” Ophelia said, peering at him suspiciously. “I know it's been a while since you’ve seen Leo. You remember what he looks like, right?” 

“Sure,” Laslow said, shrugging. “Tall, blonde and angry, right? I can find him. No problem. Now shoo. Get to your half of the mission. I’ve got this.” 

And with all the confidence in the world, Laslow dove into the party. 

He had been sincere when he told the girls that the mission was the only thing on his mind. The last time he had been to the Nohr Gala, it had been all about finding someone to go home with. He had failed, showed up completely by his business driven best friend somehow. He wasn’t going to make that same mistake. Besides, Laslow had been out of the game for a while. He was getting older and the beautiful people he was surrounded by didn’t entice him quite as they had when he was younger. 

He set his sights on Leo. Yes, it had been a long time since he’d seen anyone he’d met in his time in America. He had a vague memory of his best friend’s ex husband’s best friend. He hadn’t been quite as vigilant as Odin that night all those years ago to memorize what the Nohr’s looked like, but he had seen them all on TV at some point. At the very least, he was the host, he was sure to be surrounded by people. 

Laslow started by poking around pockets of condensed, socializing people. He didn’t engage with anyone, just hovered for a moment before moving on. There were an awful lot of people here. He was thinking about how he would have to congratulate Leo on throwing this together at the last minute when an elbow of someone he had hovered too close to knocked him backwards. 

Laslow yelped, but before he could catch himself someone else did. He turned around to thank the man whose hands had landed firmly and gently on his shoulders, but stopped suddenly. His mouth hung open and words failed him. That man was probably the most gorgeous human Laslow had ever seen. 

“Are you alright?” the stranger asked. His voice was deep and gruff. Laslow felt a quiver in his knees. The slow music of the band seemed more important suddenly, more vibrant. The rest of the room fell away. 

“Yes,” he said breathlessly. “I’m fine now.” 

Laslow gathered his bearings and did a quick once over of the man. He was tall, blonde, and had a firm frown set into his features. And he looked a little familiar. Almost like Laslow had seen him on TV once. 

“Are you Leo?” he asked, his voice cracking embarrassingly 

“No, I’m his brother, Xander” the man said. “Can I help you find him?” 

“Sure,” Laslow said. “That would be amazing. Thank you.” 

But Laslow wasn’t thinking about the mission anymore. He was thinking about Xander’s firm hand on his back, leading him through the crowd. His intoxicating, beautiful eyes that were trained on Laslow. And the little smile that broke through that hard expression as they walked together. And for the first time in almost fifteen years, Laslow thought he understood a little bit of what Odin had experienced when he had married a man he had only known for a week. 

*** 

Leo pinched the bridge of his nose as he watched the whole scene transpire. Laslow and Xander were completely lost in each other, giving only the pretense of looking for him. He was _right there_ and they still didn't see him. He would have to distracted Charlotte on his own. Fine. He was confident in his abilities to keep her entertained, even though the idea repulsed him a little. 

He found Niles, Charlotte and Nina easily. Charlotte, fortunately, seemed too distracted by the glitz of the party to noticed that both Nina and Niles were glancing around nervously, distracted. 

“Charlotte,” Leo said as he approached, catching everyone’s attention. “May I steal you for a moment? There is a CEO here that is dying to meet you.” 

Charlotte’s girlish excitement could barely be contained. “They want to meet _me_?” 

Leo put on his best business smile. “Of course. A young start up company you are in charge of is doing so well. I believe there are a great number of people here tonight that would love to talk to you.” 

Charlotte turned to Niles. She put a hand on his bicep and beamed. “Please excuse me, darling,” she said before letting Leo sweep her away. 

Niles didn’t put up a fight. As soon as she was out of earshot, he turned to Nina. “Where is he?” 

Nina beamed and grabbed his hand. 

*** 

Somehow, Ophelia had managed to wrestle Odin away from the crowds. They walked out into the deserted courtyard. So far, it seemed, the party-goers were attracted to the ballroom packed with food and networking opportunities. No one had gone for an open aired walk yet. Perfect. 

Odin took a deep breath of the air as soon as he was outside. “Absolutely invigorating,” he said. “Have you had a good adventure here in the states?” 

Ophelia nodded excitedly. “Yes, it’s been wonderful! I am sorry that Nina and I had to trick you but I wouldn’t trade my time here for the world.” Ophelia really meant that too. Sure it had been hard, but she had overcome the hardships with the grace of someone worthy of being called Odin Dark’s heir. She felt wiser and stronger. 

Odin smiled at her. “I’m glad. And I suppose after all of this, you’ll have the chance to visit more often.” 

“Of course,” Ophelia said. Her smile was innocent, hiding what she really wanted to say. _I won’t have to ‘visit’ because we are going to move here._

The doors to the courtyard opened and Odin and Ophelia turned to see who was joining them. Neither of them were surprised, though Odin felt a particular flutter in his stomach. He wasn’t equipped for nervousness. His palms were sweating already. 

“Hey,” Niles said, cool as ever. 

“Hello,” Odin squeaked back. He cleared his throat. “W-We meet again, Niles.” 

The girls exchanged a giggle between them, then Nina said, “We’re gonna go get some drinks? Be right back.” 

Niles and Odin were suddenly alone. This time without a door separating them. 

The music of the ballroom played gently in the background and the sky was clear. Both men were dressed very nicely, though Odin wasn’t wearing anything he had designed himself. And they had both grown and changed so much. Otherwise, it was all too familiar. 

“You don’t suppose they’re doing this on purpose?” Odin asked, waving his hand around him to indicate the general atmosphere. 

Niles chuckled. “I don't know how they could. It wasn’t like anyone else was with us when we danced out here all those years ago. Though, the party itself-” 

“That’s Laslow’s doing,” Odin said. “I’m certain of it. He’s behind all of this.” 

“Leo isn’t innocent either,” Niles said. He looked amused. Odin felt his face heat up as they locked eyes. 

A silence stretched between them until Niles moved closer. He took one step then paused, waited to see if Odin would flee. When he didn’t, he took another step, slowly closing the awkwardly large gap between them. “Are you feeling better?” 

“Thank you for asking, as a matter of fact I have returned to my maximum strength,” Odin said proudly. “Though, I’m going to stay away from alcohol for a while.” 

Niles smirked. “You were drunk?” 

“A bit,” Odin said behind a chuckle. “I don’t drink much these days. It didn’t take a lot to bring me down.” 

“Well that won’t do,” Niles said, his voice deep smooth as silk. “How long are you in town? Do you have a day to come back to the vineyard with me and share a bottle of wine?” 

Odin’s face fell. “I’m only here to collect Ophelia,” he said. “Once the girls are properly switched back… I’m going back to London.” 

Niles sighed deeply. “Ah. I see. Makes sense.” 

“I'm sorry, Niles,” Odin said, his voice barely above a whisper. “The plan was for us to never see each other again. I didn’t think the girls were going to find out about each other until they were much older. I’m incredibly under prepared for this.” He gestured between them awkwardly. 

“I know,” Niles said. “I feel the same way, trust me. I don’t know how to be around you. You’re so…” He trailed off and Odin leaned in curiously only to find Niles glance down at his pants and then back up into his eyes. “You’re gorgeous.” 

Odin’s breath caught in his throat. Suddenly he was 20 again, young and full of passion. And Niles had changed so much, but he was also _gorgeous_. And Odin tried not to acknowledge the powerful feelings that were choking him. 

The music lulled and then started again and Niles leaned into the atmosphere. He reached out a hand toward Odin and said, “Do you want to dance?” 

Odin looked at it nervously. “Niles…” 

“I promise I won’t bite,” Niles said. “Just one dance, Odin. Then we can talk about the girls. I promise.” 

Odin let out a shaky breath and slipped his hand into Niles’. Their bodies fit together differently than they had when they were younger, but still so comfortably. Odin was warm, instantly, both inside and outside as one of Niles’ arms wrapped around his back. They fell into step with ease and into the past with eagerness. 

*** 

Nina and Ophelia let out a sigh of relief in tandem and slumped against the door. They hadn’t gone to get drinks, but instead had lingered, watching their parents through a window. They were dancing together! That was even better than the twins could hope for. 

“We did it,” Nina said. 

“We won,” Ophelia agreed. “Nina… We’re going to be a family!” 

Nina was too excited. She couldn’t contain herself to a small space for much longer. Energy from the victory pulsed through her. But she had to stay here and keep watch with her sister. Everything was well and good now, but something could change in an instant. 

All of Nina’s thoughts fell away suddenly. She was idly looking out over the dance floor when her gaze fell on Soleil who was staring at her. How long had been staring? She smiled sheepishly and Nina smiled back. 

Ophelia looked between them and smirked. “Go dance with her,” she said. 

“Are you sure?” Nina asked. She wanted to go, but she also felt bad. She had abandoned Ophelia once before. In fact, ever since camp, Nina had been very cautious of balancing her newfound sisterhood with Ophelia and whatever was growing between her and Soleil. Tonight was about uniting their family. She needed Ophelia to be absolutely okay with it before she attended to her own personal issues. 

“I’m sure,” Ophelia said. She was beaming at her sister, all of the love in the world in her expression. “I got this. You go get _that_.” 

Nina felt her face burn, but she thanked Ophelia and walked onto the dance floor. 

Soleil was beaming as she came close, her hands outstretched. Nina took them, unsure of what to do with her body. “Nina,” she said. “You look gorgeous tonight.” 

Nina’s heart thumped in her chest and she scowled. She wasn’t good at receiving compliments. She wasn’t good at dealing with _all of this_. “Of course I do,” Nina mumbled. “I look just like my sister and you think she’s cute, don’t you?” 

Soleil looked a little hurt, but her smile recovered quickly. She dropped Nina’s hands and peered unwaveringly into her green eyes. “I used to have a crush on Ophelia, that’s true. But that was a long time ago. My feelings for you having nothing to do with her. I never had the same feelings for her that I have for you now, Nina.” 

“Really?” Nina asked. 

“I promise. You’re special. And I like you, Nina. I like you a lot. I have something I’ve been meaning to ask you.” Nina held her breath. “Would you… Like to go out sometime? And maybe consider being my girlfriend?” 

The question hit her like a typhoon and Nina continued to hold her breath. She had been expecting this and not expecting it at the same time. And now here it was. Unquestionable. Undeniable. She had to sort out her feelings, now or never. 

“I like… Boys…” she said finally, quietly. 

Against what some people would probably see as a rejection, Soleil’s smile persisted. “Well, I’m not a boy,” she said gently. “But I think you like me too.” 

“I do,” Nina said, the words surfing out on the breathe she had been holding. “I like you too Soleil. And… Yeah… When this is all over, let's go out.” 

Soleil beamed and held out her hand. Nina accepted it, and they danced at arms length, blushing mutually, in the center of the ballroom dance floor. 

*** 

After dancing for a while, the proximity between Odin and Niles became too much. They found a bench overlooking the little pond in the courtyard and took a seat beside each other. For a stretch of time, they just sat in silence, watching the reflection of the moon, listening to each other breathe. 

Finally, at a lack for any other way to break the ice, Odin said, “I’ve been meaning to ask you about your eyepatch.” 

Niles chuckled. “Tell me it makes me look dashing.” 

“It does!” Odin said, his eyes wide and sincere. “I think it's very cool. I almost wish I had one.” 

“Coming from a world renowned fashion designer, I guess that’s not so bad,” Niles said smirking. “Nina says it makes me look like a dork.” 

“Nina has much to be taught,” Odin said matter-of-factly. “She was raised in a lawless land of stained t-shirts and ripped jeans. Now that she’s back in my life I can begin her training to be my other dark heiress. But let's not get sidetracked. Why are you wearing an eyepatch? Surely it's not just a fashion statement for you.” 

Niles’ smile was far away and a little sad. “Do you remember the day you left?” 

A sharp gasp ripped through Odin and he was powerless to stop it. His jubilance fell instantly. “Oh no…” 

“Yeah,” Niles said slowly. “You threw a lot of things at me. You were pretty upset.” 

“And then I just left,” Odin hissed. “I grabbed Ophelia, got on a plane and never came back. I had no idea… _I_ did this?” His fingers lingered in the space between them, reaching for the eyepatch but not touching it. His heart broke all over again. “Why didn’t you press charges?” 

“Because I deserved this. Because I had already done enough to you by breaking your heart.” 

“Is that why you didn’t chase after me?” Odin whispered. “Because you were in the hospital?” 

Niles grabbed his hand out of the air. He stopped it from touching his eye, but he didn’t release it. His thumb brushed over the back of Odin’s hand. “No,” he said. “A hospital is not what kept me from you, Odin. I didn’t chase you because I didn’t think you wanted to be chased.” 

“I did… A little… Would you have chased me if you’d known?” 

The hand left Odin’s and his heart caught in his throat. He was cold for a moment, until Niles put it on the side of his face and brushed his cheek lightly with his thumb. “In a heartbeat. Our petty fights were nothing compared to how much I adored you.” 

“Niles,” Odin hissed. He was barely getting words out at this point. He was struggling to breathe and his heart was a violent rogue jackhammer in his chest. “We are older now… Wiser… Far better at communicating. And we have the girls. Maybe… Maybe we should-” 

“Odin Dark is _here_?! Like, _the_ Odin Dark?! Where?” 

A shrill voice ripped through the atmosphere. Niles’ hand was gone instantly and he was on his feet so Odin followed. They turned toward the doors the seperated the hotel and the courtyard to find a woman bursting into their space. 

Ophelia reached for her, but she slipped right through her fingers. Charlotte laid eyes on the men and beamed. “Oh, look, Niles is already talking to him! That’s so sweet!” 

Odin recognized the woman immediately. Of course, he had only seen her back and she hadn’t been wearing an elegant floor length white and blue gown, but her long blonde hair and white bow were unmistakable. This woman had been draped around Niles when Odin had seen him in the elevator earlier it that day. 

“Niles!” the woman giggled, falling to his side instantly. “Were you going to surprise me? How did you know that Odin Dark was designing wedding attire now and that I’ve wanted to wear him since Layla did at the grammy’s two years ago?” 

“Wedding attire?” Odin asked. His voice felt very far away, as did the rest of his body. 

Niles cleared his throat. “Uh, Odin. This is Charlotte. My… Fiancé.” 

“Oh,” Odin said plainly. He took a full step back. 

Ophelia, who had been chasing after Charlotte, fell to he knees, finally defeated. “No,” she whispered weakly. 

“Ophelia? Are you okay?” Odin asked, reaching down to help her up as if he was otherwise completely unaffected by this scene. 

Charlotte looked between the two of them and said, “I’m sorry, who is Ophelia?” 

“Oh, fuck!” came Nina’s voice from the doorway. She stood there, haloed by the lights of the party with Soleil’s hand in hers. 

“Hey, watch your fucking language,” Niles said as she let go of Soleil and rushed to their side. 

Charlotte took a minute, looking between the twins, before she shrieked, “There’s two of them?!” 

“Ah, yeah,” Niles chuckled. “Charlotte, did I ever tell you Nina was a twin?” 

“Nope,” Charlotte squeaked. Her body was rigid. “You didn’t.” 

“It’s okay,” Ophelia said. “He didn’t tell us either. By the way I’m the one you met first, I’m Ophelia.” 

“And I’m Nina. We just met this evening, actually.” 

Charlotte was biting her lip. Her body was quivering and she looked up at Niles, searching for some explanation. It was a long story, though, so he simply said, “The girls met at camp and switched places on us. We were all fooled. But their other father and I are going to switch them back and then we can all go home and return to a life of normalcy.” 

“Other father?” Charlotte repeated. Her eyes were wide with horror and her head turned slowly before falling on Odin who waved sheepishly. “ _You_? Odin Dark is your… Your…” 

“My ex,” Niles said through a sigh. “Yes. We were married when Nina and Ophelia were born.” 

“Nice to meet you,” Odin said cordially, reaching out a hand for Charlotte to shake. 

Charlotte didn’t accept the hand. She looked between Odin and Niles one more time and then her expression darkened. “But you were out here… Talking very close. I thought you were- But instead you were-” She spun on her heels suddenly and stormed back to the party. 

“Charlotte!” Niles called after her. “It’s not what it looks like!” 

“I’m leaving!” she howled over her shoulder, her voice a tad deeper than it usually was. Ophelia and Nina shrunk back in a moment of instinctual fear. “If you want to tell me what it didn’t look like, then you can follow, but I’m leaving!” 

To his credit, Niles lingered. He looked back at Odin, shared a sad expression and said, “I’m sorry,” before chasing after her. 

Odin let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding in. “At least now he knows how to chase someone.” 

He didn’t have long to dwell. Two sets of arms wrapped around his middle and Odin looked down into the forlorn expressions of his daughters. He hugged them back. 

“We’re sorry, Papa,” Ophelia said weakly. “None of this would have happened if we hadn't…” 

Odin smiled at her reassuringly and patted both of them on the head. “I will have plenty of time to punish you later. For now, I just want to hang out with my girls. Come on.” So he led them inside and each one of them tried to ignore the fact that Niles had chased Charlotte. They couldn’t, but they tried. 

That night, after Odin fell into a deep sleep, Nina crawled into Ophelia’s bed so that they could put their heads together. They entwined their pinky fingers and started whispering. This wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please imagine careless whisper playing in the background when Laslow meets Xander, if you don't the scene doesn't feel complete. thank you.


	6. Bad to the Bone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This past week was Charlotte's birthday, so lets pretend I did this on purpose. :) BC it's the Charlotte Chapter~ I did that whole speech about trusting me and how I would do right by her but in the end, I'm actually pretty nervous. I hope I did okay, Charlotte. My wife, the love of my life.  
> Well. Anyway. Enjoy~~~

_They had talked about the worst case scenario. They had talked about what they would do with the girls, how they would ensure they would never have to see each other again if that’s what their fighting came to. Talking about it wasn’t their first mistake, but it was probably their final one. Once you talk about alternative options you make them real. You make them possible. You give yourself an out. And it had gotten to a point where if Odin had an out, he was going to take it._

_It wasn’t that Odin had stopped loving Niles. That wasn’t it at all. Not even close. He loved Niles more than all of the stars in the sky. It was strange, even to him, the duality between loving a person so much and realizing that your frustration with them was so tangible, it could split the fissures in the earth with its own weight._

_Despite that, there was still love. Overwhelming love. Odin didn’t know if he could live with Niles or live without him because of it. He knew that if things came to the worst case scenario, he would never be able to see Niles again. It would be too painful with the current circumstances of his heart. So he made one final plea._

_“Please come with me,” Odin begged. He was begging now, it was all he could do. “I need to go home. To see my mother and my best friend and my studio. I feel trapped, I’m not meant to be kept away from my work like this. I feel useless here.”_

_Niles lifted his head and looked Odin. Exhaustion lined his eyes. “I can’t leave yet. Not while the vineyard can’t function by itself. You know that. I have to stay here. There’s work you can do from abroad, but I can’t do anything if I leave the vines.”_

_“If I leave I can’t come back,” Odin said, his voice clipped. “We don’t have the money to make a bicontential relationship work. You know that. And I can’t stay for much longer. I’m going crazy.”_

_Niles mumbled something and Odin didn’t ask him to repeat it. He knew he was better for not hearing it the first time, that it would only add fuel to his fire when what he needed right now was an ocean of water._

_“Niles, do you really care about the vineyard?” Niles narrowed his eyes. It was a subtle warning. Odin pressed forward anyway. “It wasn’t even a hobby of yours until a couple years ago. I have been making clothing my whole life. I’ve always known what I wanted to do and I am going to become rich and famous and able to support this family.” He pointed to their door, indicating their girls who were sleeping across the hall. They were, perhaps, the only reason he wasn’t screaming right now. “This vineyard is falling apart and nothing you do can save it. All you’re doing is sinking more and more money into it. It's a pit and you know that. You should just leave it and come to England with me.”_

_“I can’t abandon it,” Niles said shortly._

_“Why?” Odin pleaded._

_“Because the family that abandoned it also abandoned me.”_

_Silence fell between them and that was the exact moment Odin knew that this couldn’t be saved. The worst case scenario proded the back of his mind. He needed Niles to know what he was about to lose._

_“You have a choice,” he said, his voice quivering. “Me, or the vineyard.”_

_Niles looked at the window for a long moment. He couldn’t look at Odin as he said, “The vineyard.”_

_“Fine,” Odin said. “Then I guess I’m leaving.”_

_“I guess you are,” Niles said, his sad eyes still lingering on the wilting vines outside._

_Odin’s rage had been quiet up until that moment, and maybe that was what made this fight so much worse than any of its predecessors. It felt more real, less like a tantrum. And Odin kept his peace vocally, all too aware of the twins still sleeping so close by. But he was going to explode out of his skin if he didn’t unbridle his rage somehow._

_As he stomped around the room and began to pack, he threw. He didn’t throw things at Niles, not intentionally at least. But he made a mess as he packed. He knew that he could only take the things that mattered to him, so he tossed the rest far away from himself angrily. He smashed a vase on accident and stomped right across it when its shatter did not cause screaming to erupt from down the hall. He took down pictures from the walls and let others fall as he brushed passed. He ripped a few of them, some on purpose. Papers and clothes were flying in the air, like a quiet ballet about impending loss. And the whole time, Niles sat stoically in the window and let it happen._

_The last item Odin picked up was a travel bag full of miscellaneous sewing items. In London, his sewing machine and products were waiting for him. He didn’t need these cheap tools anymore._

_He heard Niles approaching him from behind, could already feel an apology wafting off of him, but if Niles was going to chase him then Odin was going to make it difficult. He couldn’t go on fighting like this anymore. Niles would have to make sacrifices and he would have to put in work. So Odin tossed the sewing bag behind him and didn’t stick around to see where it landed. It would stall Niles long enough to give Odin a chance to run._

_The tears were already hot, streaming down Odin’s face. If he looked back now, he was afraid he wouldn’t leave. He needed to run. He couldn’t be chased if he couldn’t run. So he did. He went into the nursery, made the hardest decision of his life, and he ran, Ophelia’s cries like a trail of breadcrumbs behind him._

*** 

Nina had always worn her hair in braids, ever since she could read. It kept her hair out of her face while she was writing and, when she has young, had given her a chance to bond with her dad as he tried to figure out how braiding worked. 

Ophelia liked to wear her hair down. It had a beautiful natural wave to it and it cascaded down her back like a cape. She felt heroic and free when she wore her hair down. Her papa always told her she looked like a little princess. 

On the day they were due to be seperated Nina and Ophelia wore identical, neutral ponytails. They fixed each other’s hair, grinning devilishly as they did so. They wore the only shirt they had in common- tshirts from camp. When they were done they stood side by side in the mirror and admired their handiwork. Over the course of their scheme, they had grown accustomed to dressing and acting like each other. Now they were going to act completely identical. If they had been allowed to grow up together, perhaps such a trick would have worn down in power over time. People who loved them would be used to it and be able to tell them apart no matter how similar they dressed. But this was a first for everyone and they were confidant. Their lifelong separation was a weapon now that would become their parent’s downfall. 

The twins went to the hotel lobby, hand in hand, and approached their fathers who were checking out of their rooms at the front desk. They took a moment to admire how well the two men complimented each other, just by standing side by side. Niles with his wide shoulders. Odin with his long torso. They were built for each other as much as they were made for each other. The girls, in tandem, cleared their throats. 

“Ah, there you are, its-” Odin cut himself off when he turned around and took in the sight of the twins. His gaze flicked nervously between them, but he recovered quickly. “It’s time to go. Ophelia, are you ready?” 

“Almost Papa,” the girls said at the exact same time in perfect mimics of a British accent. They did not make a move to pick up their suitcases. 

“Almost?” Niles repeated, crossing his arms across his chest. “You know that you have a plane to catch, right?” 

“We are fully aware of the situation,” said one girl, this time in her American accent. 

“That is why we cannot leave yet,” said the other identically. 

The girls beamed, innocently, their hands behind their backs and their chins high. 

Odin paused, looked between them again, and chuckled. “Aha, I see what’s going on here. However, the tricks of such skilled dark sorceresses will not fool me! I have my own special power and you would be foolish to underestimate it!” The girls didn’t flinch. “A father’s love! I should have no trouble picking out which child is Ophelia Dusk, the heir I raised since she was in diapers.” 

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” said one girl. 

“After all, you couldn’t tell which one got off the plane the first time,” said the other. 

Odin bit his lip, suddenly nervous. If he picked the wrong child and took her all the way back to London, it would cost a fortune to correct. And there would probably be legal trouble. And, most importantly, he would have to come back to America to see Niles again. He was so looking forward to being on that plane and away from all this, but he had to get it right the first time, lest he wanted to develop a drinking problem. 

“What are your terms?” Niles asked, his expression impassive. 

The girls cleared their throats again, and then began, switching off sentences as if they had rehearsed it and keeping their tones completely neutral and identical. 

“Cancel the flight. We’re not leaving until after the camping trip.” 

“After we go camping as a family then we will go peacefully. Promise.” 

Niles bent onto his knees and peered at the girls with his one scrutinizing eye. It flicked between the girls, who were smug in their confidence. Even their own parents couldn’t figure out who was who. They held the power, and they were going to use it until the very last second. 

Just when they thought they had won, Niles’ eye stopped and lingered. It found Nina, and it sat there, staring at her. She held its gaze bravely, swallowed hard and hoped that he hadn’t figured her out, though she knew in that moment that he had. Niles knew which one she was. They were busted. She bit her tongue and didn’t say a word. 

Niles stood back up and pulled Odin aside. They must have thought they were too far away to be heard, but the girls strained their ears, desperate to hear the deliberation. 

“Are they doing this on purpose?” Odin hissed. “Just like the gala.” 

“I don’t know how that’s possible,” Niles hissed back. “Unlike the night we met, no one knows about what the camping trip meant to us. I never told Leo.” 

“And I never told Laslow,” Odin admits. 

“We’ll just… Play along with it for a little while longer. I can’t tell which one is which and we don’t want to make any mistakes.” 

Nina wondered why Niles was lying. Ophelia let out a small breath of relief, but she continued to hold hers. He _did_ know which one she was. Why wasn’t he ratting them out? 

Odin finally stopped chewing on his lip long enough to whisper, “But… Camping? Us? What will your fiancé say?” 

“She’ll have to be okay with this,” Niles said, this time with a voice above a whisper. He stood and crossed his arms. “There’s nothing we can do. Our hands are tied. The most we can do is try to enjoy it.” 

Ophelia grasped Nina’s hand and squeezed it celebratorily. But Nina continued to eye her dad suspiciously. She had gotten into fights with him before. She knew how stubborn he could be. He was giving this up too easily. She stared at him for a long time but he didn’t meet her gaze. He started to help Odin make preparations to go back to the vineyard together instead. 

For the rest of the day, Nina watched Niles, suspicious of his movements. She was not entirely convinced that he wasn’t luring her into a false sense of victory. She didn’t even notice when Odin, biting his lip in concerned concentration, snuck away. 

*** 

Nina and Ophelia had won the battle. Unfortunately, this was a war and it was nowhere near complete. The enemy did not make a rebound attack until the next day when everyone had returned to Zero Regrets Vineyard. That was when the girls realized they had been struck. Because it was Charlotte, not Odin, who looked quite ready to climb a mountain. 

“I have to apologize for how I acted at the party,” Charlotte said to the twins who were gaping at her unabashedly. Niles might have been gaping too. Odin was grinning cheekily. “That was not a version of myself that I want to be remembered by. I might have acted a little… rashly. But I want to make it up to you and I am so looking forward to getting to know the both of you on this camping trip.” 

“Dad,” Nina said slowly, twisting slightly to face her father, who was not going to have a proper response to the question she was about to ask. “What’s going on? It’s supposed to be you, me, Ophelia and Papa. No one else.” 

Niles barely got a shrug in before Odin was cutting him off, grandly inserting himself between his hostile children and his ex-husbands current lover. “I suggested it, actually,” he said. “While you were packing up Charlotte and I were able to have a nice long chat. She candidly confessed to me that she felt uncomfortable with her fiance’s ex going on a trip with him alone.” 

“Not alone, we would be there,” Ophelia squeaked. 

Odin smiled gently and patted her head. “I know, princess. That’s precisely another reason why this is a better set up. You said you wanted to go on the camping trip as a family and, well,” Odin gestured to Charlotte with one hand and Niles with the other. “This is your family now! Charlotte is going to be your stepmom soon! And you’re scarcely going to have your dad and I in the same room after this, let alone on a long getaway in the woods. Besides, I believe I have a wedding dress I have to started on immediately?” 

He posed it as a question and Charlotte lit up when he glanced her way. “Oh, you really mean it?” she asked, her hands clasped in front of her gleeful face. 

Odin beamed, as charming as he had ever been in his life. “I would be honored. Granted, it’s a _little_ last minute. But I can call my people in London and have them get started on altering something I already have prepared. I have a dress that I haven’t debuted yet that I think would look marvelous on you, Charlotte. It’s called the Fortuitous Maiden! The blue highlights will bring out your eyes and the gold accents will have you dazzling as you walk down the aisle!” 

While Charlotte was literally squealing over the idea of getting to wear an Odin Dark original before it even debuted, Niles knitted is brows in concern and took one step forward. “You don’t have to,” he murmured, barely loud enough for anyone else to hear. 

“Don’t have to what, Niles? Set you up on an away trip with your daughters and betrothed while I keep an eye on your house? Or finish an entire wedding gown in two weeks free of charge? Because I really think I have to do both of these things.” He patted Niles on the shoulder and said, through a smug grin, “And you’re welcome for it.” 

Never before had Ophelia and Nina felt quiet so cheated as they did when Charlotte put her backpack in the back of the jeep with all of their already packed belongings. They looked to Niles with pleading eyes, he had been so sneakily supportive in the hotel. But when their eyes met he just shrugged and mumbled, “It’ll be fun,” before climbing into the jeep himself. 

Odin watched them go from the porch of the house and didn’t let his smug exterior dip until they were out of sight. He let out a heavy sight and felt a hand clasp his back, comfortingly. “Want to go raid Niles’ wine cellar?” Laslow asked. 

“Absolutely,” Odin agreed as he followed his friend back inside. 

*** 

“I have to admit,” Charlotte said quietly as they started down a walking trail. _Started_ being the key word here. “I knew we would be outside but I didn’t think there would be quite so much… dirt.” 

Ophelia rolled her eyes. Nina silently gagged. Niles just chuckled and rubbed her shoulder sympathetically. “You know, it’s not too late to go back to the house if you’re having second thoughts, dear.” 

“Oh no, I’ll be fine,” Charlotte said cheerily. Another round of eye rolling and gagging rippled on behind her. “It will just take some… getting used to. But I’m willing to learn. For you. Um, just curious though, when will we take a break?” 

Niles raised an eyebrow. “Whenever you need one.” 

That was when Ophelia got the first horrible idea. She whispered it to Nina who beamed and was all too happy to volunteer to do the dirty work. 

The first time they stopped, what would become the first of many over the course of the day, Charlotte made a big show of being tired. She took off her backpack and sat on a big rock. She gestured for Niles to join her, but when he found something to be distracted by, she grabbed Ophelia. Ophelia grinned and bared with it, talking about Odin and her life in London and keeping Charlotte distracted. Nina quietly popped open the top of Charlotte’s backpack and started to pack it with small, dense rocks. When the break was over, Charlotte shouldered the pack again, didn’t say a word, and away they went. 

On their second and third breaks, she continued to look infuriatingly immaculate. Her hair was staying in place, her makeup was flawless and her clothes, miraculously, didn’t have a speck of dust on them. She wasn’t sweating, she wasn’t panting. She leaned on Niles and thanked him for taking pity on her weak little body. Nina snuck more rocks into her bag, slowly building up the weight Charlotte would have to shoulder. 

“It’s not working,” Ophelia hissed to Nina on their fifth break. They were so close to the campsite, according to Niles. He was almost begging Charlotte at this point to power through it, but she didn’t seem haggard at all. She still looked like she had just climbed out of the car. 

“I have a new theory,” Nina hissed back. “She’s a witch, it’s the only explanation.” 

Ophelia shook her head. “This is not magic. I would be able to sense if it were, I’m sure. This is simply deceit. We have to expose it to Dad before the end of the trip. But the rocks aren’t working… so what else can we do?” 

Nina pursed her lips. Her eyes wandered through the tree line as she scoured for ideas. They didn’t want to be overtly mean, lest Niles find out. They would have to be sneaky about it. To beat Charlotte at her own game. An epiphany smacked Nina in the face when something flew past her line of sight. She grinned wickedly at her sister. “I have an idea.” 

They waited until they were at the campsite. Niles was distracted with a tent. It was the perfect chance to strike. Charlotte, who was sitting around what would be their firepit, watching Niles work with her lips pursed in approval, had not touched her bag yet. If she found the rocks, it would probably be bad. Nina plopped down on the makeshift log bench next to her and she squeaked a little in alarm, putting her hand to her chest as if she had almost had a heart attack. 

“Oh, you frightened me, uh…” 

Nina stared at her for a moment, her eyes wide and innocent. She held Charlotte’s gaze and let the anguish last for as long as she could before she said, “Nina.” 

“Oh yes. _You’re_ Nina. This is strange, I suppose we haven’t spoken much.” 

“Nah, not really,” Nina said with a shrug. “I was in England with my really awesome Papa, Odin Dark. He’s so great. Really cool of him to let you come on this camping trip in his place.” 

Charlotte smiled weakly. “Yes, that was very… chivalrous of him to do.” 

“I know he’s great,” Nina said again, still smiling. She tried not to let her eyes wander. There was movement on the other side of Charlotte, just outside her blindspot, but Nina knew exactly who it was and what she was doing and she didn’t want Charlotte to notice. “So how are you liking it? You seem to be handling the climb well for someone who says she hasn’t done much hiking.” 

“Oh, no, I wouldn’t say that,” Charlotte started timidly. “It was an exhausting climb. I’m sure I look like a mess. I’m just thankful that we finally arrived.” 

“Sure, a little behind schedule, but we made it,” Nina agreed through gritted teeth. 

Charlotte smiled amicably. “At least the walk was lovely. This forest reminds me of the park that my siblings and I used to play in when we were small.” 

“Must be nice.” This time when Nina spoke she didn’t try to conceal her bitterness. The movement behind Charlotte had stopped and Nina knew she was free from this interaction. She had no motivation to end it on a good note. “Having your siblings to play with when you're younger.” 

“It was nice,” Charlotte said, persistently oblivious of the venom in Nina’s tone. “But those sorts of things always come to end. Everyone must say goodbye to their family some day.” 

Nina sneered. “Not if you fight hard enough for it,” she mumbled. Then she abruptly stood up and walked away. Charlotte called after her, but Nina marched away tuning her out. She wasn’t sure what had happened in Charlotte’s past, but she didn’t care. To Nina, it sounded like she'd had a family that she had taken for granted and then given up on. Nina couldn't relate to that. And she hoped that Charlotte’s lack of appreciation for family would be her downfall. 

Nina regrouped with Ophelia in their tent, which she was almost finished being setting up. Ophelia fumbled with the tent rods, clearly confused because she was trying to put them together backwards. Nina took them from her wordlessly and got to work. Ophelia beamed at her. “Thank you. I don't really know what I’m doing and Dad is too busy setting up two different tents for him and Charlotte to help.” 

“They’re not sleeping together?” Nina asked. 

“No,” Ophelia said, unable to hide her glee. “He mumbled something about packing with the intention of Papa coming instead of Charlotte and then set them both up anyway.” 

Nina shared in her sister’s smile. Things seemed to be going their way. Her frustration with Charlotte evaporated a little. “Did you plant the trap?” 

Ophelia nodded, her eyes dark with mischief. She lifted her fingers and Nina saw now that they were covered in mud. “I don’t mean to brag, but I chose some great ones. How did you come up with this idea, Nina?” 

Nina thought back to her grandmother, playing harmless tricks through the medium of baked goods. “I borrowed it from a pretty cool woman.” 

Ophelia cocked her head and smiled but didn’t ask anything further. They finished putting up their tent in peace, keeping an eye on Charlotte as they worked. Eventually, Niles finished putting up the two different tents and got to work setting up his fishing rods. It was time to catch dinner. Charlotte had a negative reaction to the menu and pointed out that she thought she had packed some energy bars that would suffice for her instead. Nina and Ophelia exchanged excited glances as Charlotte moved toward her backpack. 

They were everywhere in the bag, all over Charlotte’s change of clothes, all over her packed makeup. Wriggling, slimy, dirty, but otherwise harmless worms. It was enough to make even Nina and Ophelia gag thinking about it, and they had dealt with their fair share of bugs at camp. The girls braced themselves for the ensuing scream when they heard the click of Charlotte unbuttoning her pack. 

The whole campsite held its breath. Niles was preoccupied with the fishing rods. The girls were frozen, watching Charlotte. And Charlotte was looking into her bag. For a moment, nothing moved. Nothing made a sound. Then Charlotte calmly stood up and walked toward the woods. 

“We’re almost ready to start fishing,” Niles said after her. 

“I’ll be back in a bit,” she said sweetly, her pack hanging limply from her hands. “I’m just going to visit the ladies room… Or whatever the wilderness equivalent of that is.” 

Then Charlotte was gone, ducking behind the trees. Niles shrugged and returned to his work, but the twins were not as equally unaffected. Their mouths hanged open in shock. Their wide eyes stared after Charlotte for a long moment before turning to face each other. Wordlessly, they popped up from where they sat and moved toward the trees after her. 

“Hey!” Niles shouted as their poles clattered to the ground. “Where are you two going?” 

As the twins jogged they called over their shoulders in halting sentences. “Just-” 

“Same-” 

“Bathroom-” 

“Be right back!” 

Niles didn’t pursue them. The girls ran into the woods and as soon as they were out of Niles’ line of sight, they crept close to the forest floor and stealthily pursued Charlotte. 

She was crouched by a stream that was feeding into the lake they had camped beside. But there was something wrong. Instead of the frightened, distraught debutante woman they expected to find, the girls found a woman shrouded in darkness. 

There was a scowl on Charlotte’s face unlike anything the girls had ever seen. She picked up worms with her bare hands and growled at them. They were horrified when, on one occasion, she squished the bug between her fingers before flinging its body back into the forest. When the worms were extracted from her belongings, Charlotte stood up again only to find the backside of her pants covered in mud. Ophelia braced herself for a reaction similar to the one she had elicited when she accidentally on purpose splashed Charlotte’s dress by the pool. Instead, Charlotte cursed loudly, and then procured a miraculously clean identical pair from the bottom of her sack. Out with it came a little journal that clattered onto a rock dangerously close to the rushing river. Charlotte temporarily abandoned her pants to retrieve it. Once it was safe, she started to change and the twins turned back to the campsite. 

“Well, she’s definitely lying about something,” Nina said quietly as they walked. “She’s two-faced. She’s not delicate like she acts at all. She’s a psycho brute.” 

“We have to expose her… And I think I have an idea of how to do it,” Ophelia said quietly. 

*** 

Dusk was Ophelia’s hour and it was dusk when she decided to put her plan into motion. She spent the afternoon fishing with her sister and her dad, enjoying the forest and the lake and she tried not to think about Charlotte who would occasionally interject with useless comments but otherwise kept to herself and ate her energy bars near the fire pit. Ophelia hadn’t spent a lot of time in the wilderness like this before camp, and even this was much different. Camp had been a constant activity filled summer playdate. She had been constantly surrounded by children her own age, strangers that she got to know pretty well. And, of course, there had been all of the planning for her and Nina’s great switch. 

This camping trip was slower and much more quiet. Her and Nina sat on either side of Niles on the dock that led out to the lake, their rods in hands, and they talked about everything and nothing. The ambiance of the forest molded their serenity instead of giving her the constant pressure to have an adventure. Ophelia caught one fish, but it was bigger than both of Nina’s little fish. Niles patted her head and told her she had done well. And Ophelia felt rejuvenated. She didn’t want that moment to end. 

But it did end. The sun dipped below the horizon and Niles started to prepare a fire for them to cook their well earned dinner on. Ophelia watched the sky paint itself with navy blue and blood orange and she knew it was time. She exchanged a quiet nod with Nina who would be the distraction for the adults, and then slipped into Charlotte’s tent, completely unnoticed. 

Next to the air mattress was Charlotte’s little backpack. Ophelia knelt beside it and popped it open. The journal was sitting right on top. It was held shut with a small silver lock. A children’s toy. For Ophelia, who had been trained by the best, it was nothing. She pulled a hairpin out of her pocket and jimmied it in the lock. It popped open without a hassle. Ophelia took a seat on the edge of the air mattress and started to skim for a clue, anything she could use against Charlotte. As she did, her eyes grew wide. 

There was a small commotion outside the tent. Ophelia’s heart thudded hard in her chest. She took a deep breath and held it until the flap of the tent was ripped away and Niles was glaring at her. “Ophelia,” he said quietly. “What are you doing?” 

“Dad,” Ophelia said as she popped to her feet. “I’m going through Charlotte’s things.” 

“I see that,” Niles grumbled, looking from the open bag to the journal held against Ophelia’s chest protectively. “Why?” 

“Because I don’t trust her.” 

Niles held Ophelia’s gaze for a long moment before he said, “You don’t trust her with what?” 

“With you,” Ophelia said quietly. 

Emotions did not cross Niles’ expressions in technicolor. He often kept them away from the public and this instant was no different. His face was stone cold unreadable, but Ophelia saw his jaw clench and hoped that he was realizing what she intended him to realize. That his daughters were so worried about him, they were willing to violate the privacy of another person. That she had committed a crime for his safety and that alone made it important enough to take seriously. She wanted him to take this seriously. She wanted him to listen to her when she opened the journal and showed him what was inside. 

Before she could test the waters of his persuadability, the flap of the tent flew open and Charlotte’s shriek surrounded them. Ophelia didn’t flinch. She stood her ground, the journal snug in her arms. 

“That’s not yours!” Charlotte yelled, her voice struggling between a high pitched octave and one much lower and primal. The same tone of voice that they had witnessed at the end of the party and as she cursed the worms by the stream. Ophelia tried not to smirk. Charlotte was going to out herself. 

“That’s true, Ophelia, give it to Charlotte,” Niles said, frowning at her. 

Nina flew into the tent then, dodging around the adults with a startling nimbleness. She placed herself between her sister and the threat and rolled her shoulders intimidatingly. “Don’t you touch her,” she growled at Charlotte. 

“I’ll give the journal back after you see what’s in it, Dad,” Ophelia pleaded. “It’s important! It’s proof! Proof that she only wants to marry you for your money!” 

“What?” Niles hissed. 

“That’s a lie!” Charlotte shrieked. “Why are you attacking my character? I’ve done nothing to you!” 

“Nothing _yet_ ,” Nina growled. 

There was another guttural, violent shriek. Charlotte ripped her hands down her face, smearing her makeup as she did. Her hair instantly tangled in her grasp. She was breathing heavily through her nostrils. Her jaw was clenched and her eyes were wide with fury. She didn’t look like a lady anymore. She looked like a monster. 

She lunged for the journal, but with Nina in the way, Ophelia was able to dodge which made Charlotte crash onto the mattress. The tent was almost too small for this sort of chase and the twins used it to their advantage. Ophelia took two quick steps toward Niles and thrust the journal into his hands. “Look!” Ophelia said over the howling. “She has all of the money she is going to make off of you listed, down to the very cent! She’s already delegated most of it! She’s spending your money before you’re even married, Dad!” 

Charlotte climbed to her feet and lunged again. This time she managed to rip the journal out of Niles’ grasp. He was preoccupied with putting Ophelia behind him. But it was enough, Ophelia thought. She had seen his eyes moving as he read. She hoped that he had gathered enough information. She, nor anyone else, noticed that a scrap of paper had fallen out of the journal, gripped in Niles’ fingers as the rest was pulled from him. He glanced at it surreptitiously. 

“This is it,” Charlotte huffed as she closed the journal and held it close to her. “This is the final straw. I have tried to be nice. That one-” a shaking finger leveled at Nina “-has been nothing but rude to me since she came back from camp!” 

“Actually,” said Nina as she pointed at her sister. “That was her.” 

Charlotte barely contained her shriek of rage. “This is exactly what I’m talking about! This whole switch thing? It’s fucked up! It’s manipulative! They’re not worth the trouble they afford you, Niles! One of them, I don’t even know which one, put rocks and worms into my travel pack! _Rocks and worms!_ That’s a direct, intentional attack against _me_!” 

“You knew?” Ophelia gasped. 

“Of course I did!” Charlotte yelled back. “I ain’t stupid, kid! I’ve known the whole time what you’ve been up to, but I kept my trap shut because I didn’t want to blow this chance! But you kids have left me no choice!” 

Niles was silent, still looking at the piece of paper in his hand, until Charlotte was in his space, commanding all of his attention. He blinked at her, and then said matter-of-factly, “You’re looking for money.” 

Charlotte sucked in a big breath, but her fire didn’t die. “Of course I am. Money is important, Niles. It’s the most important thing in the world. I left my family behind in pursuit of money and now you have to do the same. Leaving them behind is the only way I can provide for them. Don’t be an idiot. Send your girls to England with their other father and focus on your business with me. We can get _ridiculously_ wealthy if want to, but you _cannot_ half ass it. No more jacking around with kiddy shit. Time to chose Niles. Your family, or your business.” 

Niles reached for Charlotte’s free hand and put the scrap paper in it. He closed her fist around it then grinned and said, without a moment’s hesitation. “My family, Charlotte. I chose my family. And if that no longer includes you, then so be it.” 

Charlotte was stunned into silence for a moment. She looked down at the piece of paper in her hand and then screamed. She screamed as she threw the journal into her backpack and screamed as she stormed out of the tent. Her scream trailed behind her as she flew into the woods, until eventually, she could no longer be heard. 

Niles wordlessly pulled out his cell phone and dialed. Ophelia and Nina stood on eggshells, quietly waiting and watching him as it rang. 

“Leo?” Niles said after a moment. “No, everything is fine, I just have a favor to ask. Will you pick up Charlotte? She’s somewhere in the woods. I’ll text you the coordinates she left from but she’s very fast. No, no, I have a feeling she’ll be just fine until you get to her. But when you do, will you take her to San Francisco? Her family is there and I think it’s been a while since she’s seen them. I don’t want her to continue to make the same mistake I made once… No, you can leave her there. I’m going to mail her her belongings. I don’t think she’s going to want to come back to Napa. Thank you, Leo. I owe you.” 

As soon as Niles hung up the phone he texted his location to Leo, as promised. Then, finally, he turned on the girls. They almost yelped from the gaze he gave them. “You’re grounded,” he said in a low, rumbling voice. “Obviously. But it’s too dark to go home now, so go to your tent, I guess, and try to get some shut eye.” 

They turned obediently, wilted, and started to make their way back to the tent. Then Niles said, “Wait.” They slowly faced him. He was smiling softly. “Thank you,” he said. 

Exhaustion suddenly gripped the girls. All of the fear and rage they had been bottling up while dealing with Charlotte poured out as if the dam had been knocked down. Ophelia started to cry. She ran toward Niles and Nina was not far behind her, both in steps and tears. They hugged him and he hugged them back, kissing each of them on the top of their heads. They apologized profusely, in between unintelligibly blabbering. Niles just laughed and brushed their tears away. 

They ended up staying in one tent, all three of them. The girls curled together and Niles sat up by the lamp light, reading a book. Nina watched him for a little while. Ophelia’s breathing evened out beside her. It was relaxing. She kept trying to convince herself that they had won, but it didn’t feel quite like a victory. Just because Charlotte was gone didn’t mean they were absolutely going to get their parents back together. She knew that. 

“Dad?” she said quietly, careful not to disturb Ophelia. Niles blinked out of his book and turned to face her. “What were you and Papa talking about back at the hotel? When you said no one knew what the camping trip meant to you.” 

Niles was silent for a long moment. He put his bookmark in the book and set it aside. He was smiling sadly when he finally said, “This was what Odin and I did on our honeymoon. Now go to sleep, Nina.” 

The lamp was extinguished so Nina didn’t have a choice. But she did go to sleep after that. She curled around her sister and smiled into her pillow and slept very well that night. 

*** 

_It took Niles a second to realize that Odin wasn’t following him anymore. The hike had fallen eerily quiet. He turned, expecting to find Odin distracted by something on the path. But Odin wasn’t on the path. He was missing._

_“Odin?” Niles called out, once at a normal volume._

_“Niles! Make haste to me! I discovered something wondrous!” Odin’s voice was coming from deep in the foliage. Niles couldn’t even see him. He rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. Ever since they entered the forest, Odin had been like this. Completely full of amazement. It was, if Niles was being completely honest, incredibly adorable._

_He followed the sound of Odin’s voice until he found a worm dangling in the air. Just a worm. A big worm, but still just a worm. Odin was gripping it between his fingers and posing dramatically, the worm raised high._

_“You… Found a bug?”_

_“Not just any bug, Niles! I found the chosen bait! This worm will be the one that catches the most worthy fish for us to eat for supper! I shall call them-”_

_“Odin, don’t name the worm.”_

_“Maelstrom the Mighty Wyrm! The great catcher of fish!”_

_Niles chuckled as Odin pocketed the worm in a little snack bag. It wriggled anxious as he scooped in some mud, but stayed still. Odin put the bag in his sack and turned back to path just as Niles started to speak. “I was going to apologize for making you go on this hike. But I think you’re making the best of the situation.”_

_Odin beamed at him and took his hand casually. As if it were the most natural thing in the world. “Why on Earth would you apologize for this, Niles?”_

_“Because we were supposed to go abroad,” Niles said. “Everyone we know thinks we’re in Italy right now. But we’re not in Italy, we’re in our backyard, scavenging for food like wild animals.”_

_Odin snorted with laughter, but still found the time to squeeze Niles’ hand reassuringly. “This is so much better than Italy, love. Sure, to the average layman it may seem like they have better food and beds, but I prefer this. Fending for ourselves. Relying on each other for survival. We are so far from everyone else on the planet that it is almost easy enough to imagine that we’re the only two people in it. Plus, if we should hear anything about our surrogate application, we’ll be close enough to answer the call in person. I couldn’t ask for a better honeymoon.”_

_“We had to change our plans at the last minute because of me and my vineyard,” Niles pointed out. “That doesn’t make you… Even a little bit frustrated with me?”_

_Odin blew a raspberry and waved his free hand dismissively. “Not at all. I understand how hard it can be to grow business from nothing, trust me. Besides, we’re not going to be the type of couple that fights over petty things like that. We’re always going to support each other and our career decisions.”_

_“Oh yeah?” Niles asked, smirking despite himself. “And how do you figure that? You don’t think the honeymoon phase will wear off ever?”_

_“Never,” Odin admitted. He brought their joined hands up to eye level and twisted his body into Niles so that he could sneak his free hand around Niles’ waist. They were almost in a dancing position, though Odin just laid his head against Niles’ shoulder and swayed gently in place. “Because we’re soulmates.”_

_“Soulmates?” Niles asked quietly. He snuck a whiff of Odin’s hair. He still smelled faintly of his shower that morning, though the unique smell that was Odin’s working musk was starting to rise. And there was a hint of damp leaves. He had been foraging for the worm for a longer while than Niles had noticed._

_Odin nodded against his chest. “I can feel our soul connecting, our paths converging further with every new day that goes by. Normal couples would not be able to withstand a relationship as deep and quick as ours is. But that’s what makes us so unique.”_

_“I guess you have a point,” Niles said. “We are moving… A bit fast. I feel like I should be scared, but I’m not.”_

_Odin pulled away and stopped swaying. He looked Niles in the eyes and held his gaze. “I can see the future when I’m with you more clearly than I can see anything else in our lives. I can see us catching fish in a few hours, and my fish will be bigger and better because I named my worm.” Niles chuckled by Odin kept talking. “I can see us pitching a sad tent and then sleeping outside of it anyway because we want to watch the stars together. I can see us going home after this trip and finding a surrogate that looks just like me to help create our children. I can see us raising those children into incredibly people. And I can see us together at the end of it all, side by side, as if we had never been apart a day in our lives.”_

_Niles brushed a hand through Odin’s hair and took a moment to just admire his husband. This beautiful ray of sunshine that he didn’t deserve that had somehow found him anyway. He could see all of those things too, he just wasn’t as eloquent with the way he expressed them. His thumb stroked Odin’s cheek absently. He was soft and kind and sexy and perfect. And he was Niles’. Till death do them part._

_“I can see all that too,” Niles admitted softly. Then he added, with a smirk, “And I can see one other thing.”_

_“Oh?” Odin asked, his eye half-lidded as he leaned forward._

_He expected a kiss. Niles leaned in most of the way, but stopped, just shy of their mouths touching and whispered into Odin’s slightly parted lips, “Outdoor sex.”_

_Odin sputtered, completely caught off guard. He pushed away from Niles and covered his mouth defensively, but his eyes were crinkled in mirth. “I am not going to have sex with you out here! How unsanitary!”_

_“Says the guy who just went digging for worms,” Niles pointed out, but Odin was already playfully running away from him. Niles gave chase, because he thought, at the time, that he would always chase Odin. He would never stop chasing Odin. Not as long as the possibility of forever still existed._

*** 

The trip back home was a silent one. The only sound that has pierced their great wall of awkwardness was the sound of Leo’s helicopter sometime the night before scouring the forest for Charlotte. They assumed he found her and that she was well on her way to a happier life. Niles had assured them that everything would work out for her, that he had _ensured_ everything would work out for her even if that everything didn’t include his prospective wedding. Other than that, they didn’t talk much. The girls stayed dutifully quiet and Niles stayed persistently contemplative. 

Odin was, surprisingly, waiting for them on the deck when they arrived home. Niles tried not to let his heart wander off with the image. Odin cocked an eyebrow after he counted the number of passengers in their jeep and asked, unknowingly breaking their steadfast silence, “Where’s Charlotte?” 

“She left,” Nina said with a shrug. 

“You scared her away,” Niles shot back as she got out of the jeep. 

Odin’s hand flew to his mouth in horror. Horror that could have been sold a little better if he wanted anyone to believe it, but horror nonetheless. “She’s gone?” 

“She left me,” Niles admitted. It was the first time he had said it outloud. He had mixed feelings about it still. On the one hand, despite what anyone had assumed, he really had cared about Charlotte. He had fully dedicated his mind to marrying her, to being with her until he grew old and died, leaving her whatever was left over from his fortune after Nina had had her fill. On the other hand… He couldn't quite put words to it yet, but there was a feeling there. A lightness. Almost like relief. 

“Don't worry,” Niles added, grinning. “The girls are super grounded for it. They tormented that poor woman until the very end.” 

“We’re really sorry,” Ophelia said, and for what it was worth, she did actually appear a little apologetic. At least, more apologetic than Nina. 

“Unload the jeep,” Niles ordered, trying to appear unsympathetic. “Then go to your room. I’ll be up to check on you in a little while.” 

Niles allowed himself to be led inside by Odin. He didn’t even realize he was acting upon this instinctual urge until he found himself in the living room. Odin hadn’t grabbed his hand or asked him to follow or anything, he had simply started moving and Niles had simply followed. 

The house felt vast and quiet. Niles quirked an eyebrow. “Where’s Laslow and his girl?” 

“Oh they went to stay with Xander Nohr for a few days,” Odin said, waggling his eyebrows at Niles as he said it. 

Niles’ mouth fell open. “Xander as in Leo’s older brother? That Xander?” 

“Yes,” Odin said, still grinning. “I guess Laslow and Xander really hit it off at that party the other day. He invited them both over for lunch yesterday and I haven't seen them since. I hope the girls don’t get lonely without Soleil here.” 

Niles waved a hand dismissively in the direction of the door. “Ah they have each other. Those two are like peas in a pod. Honestly, Odin? I feel awful for keeping them apart this long. This whole Charlotte thing felt more like a cry for help than anything.” 

“I imagine that’s what they wanted you to think,” Odin pointed out. “They’re smart girls. And they don’t want to be apart anymore. We made a mistake when we separated them in the first place, that’s for sure.” 

“It’s going to be hard,” Niles said slowly. He was hesitant to move toward Odin. As it was, they were a good five steps away from each other. Anything closer would feel too dangerous. And Niles had experienced enough danger in the past two days. “We have to figure out what we’re going to do with them moving forward.” 

Odin nodded solemnly. “It’ll be expensive, whatever we decide. Lots of plane flights.” 

Niles shook his head. “Money is no object. As long as the girls are happy.” 

“Yes. Their happiness is the most important. 

“Yes, I agree. We should spare no expense.” 

They fell into an awkward silence, unsure of how to proceed from a ground of commonality. It had been so long since they had agreed on something so easily. He remembered days when they agreed on everything and never fought, but they felt like dreams. What he remembered most was the fighting at the end. The skin under his eyepatch started to itch, but he didn’t move to fix it. 

Odin took a sharp, shaky breath of air and said, “Well, I had your whole house to myself for a whole day. Aren’t you curious what I got up to?” 

Niles raised an eyebrow. “I wasn’t, but now I am. A little…” 

Odin was smiling. He gestured for Niles to follow him then made his way to the back of the house. Niles followed, of course, feeling a little like Alice about to jump down a rabbit hole. 

“Tada,” Odin said when they had made it through the back door. He gestured to his set up and Niles’ mouth fell open. 

Perhaps he really had just stepped into wonderland. He certainly wasn't in his own backyard. He didn’t recognize it at all. Wrapped around every inch of wooden fence and the little pergola were fairy lights. It was the middle of the day, but Niles could just barely make out a twinkling of gold if he squinted his eyes. Under the pergola was a small tent. Niles could see even more fairy lights strung up side as well as many of his pillows and blankets. His fire pit had been dragged around to the backyard as well, and sat a safe distance from the tent with long tongs and ingredients for s’mores already laid out. 

Niles turned to find Odin watching him sheepishly. He shrugged when Niles’ gaze finally met his. “Despite the fact that I very much tricked Charlotte into going on the camping trip with you in my place, I was a little sad that I didn't get to go. So I set this up, hoping that when you all returned, we could have one night under the stars together like we originally planned.” 

“You knew Charlotte wouldn’t be coming back?” 

Odin’s eyes darted away from Niles. He bit his lip before he said, “Well _no_ , I didn’t know for _certain_ , but I mean… I mean I had a back up plan for if she did come back, trust me.” 

Niles almost snorted with laughed. “Oh did you?” 

“Yes!” Odin said, his gaze snapping back, determined now. “A hero is always prepared for any sort of situation! Stop questioning me! Do you want to camp outside tonight or not?!” 

Niles couldn’t contain himself any longer. He rolled his head back and let out a long, boisterous laugh. At first, Odin tried to maintain an air of being offended. But the laughter was infectious and he chuckled a few times before Niles said, “Of course I want to camp with you. It's what I wanted to do in the first place, you nerd.” 

“Good,” Odin said, smiling. “Then you better tell the girls they’re not grounded until tomorrow. Because we’re going to do this the way we promised them. As a family.” 

Niles started to turn away, but stopped when Odin said, “Oh wait, Niles, one more thing.” And he turned to face Odin who was smirking a little. “Have you been taking Nina on the camping trip every year since I left?” 

Niles smirked back. He thought he would have felt more embarrassment about this. “I have. She looks forward to it every year, and so do I. It was kind of like my secret way to never forget you.” 

Odin’s smirk fell. He was visibly blushing. Niles took his leave while he could, headed for the girls’ room. He tried not to think about what sorts of conversations might be in store for him. 

As the day crept closer to nightfall, the anticipation of spending alone time with Odin loomed in his head. So he banished his worries. He focused instead on the happiness his daughters tossed around as they raced outside with the news of what the night had in store for them. 

As the sky turned from blue to orange to purple, the four of them sat around the fire pit. For as awkward as the set up could have been, there were no forced conversations. Everything felt too easy. 

The girls shared stories from camp, real stories that they hadn’t told either of their parents. They talked about their training for the switch and how they had found each other. Odin listened raptly, on the edge of his seat as his daughters built up their story with all of the drama he had taught them. 

Odin then named everyone’s marshmallows before they roasted them, just as every bit filled with childlike glee as the actual children. Niles had to admit, he hadn’t had a tastier s’more in his life. When s’mores and Niles’ barbecue were eaten and it was sufficiently dark outside, they moved away from the set up and the house with jars. The twins spent almost an hour catching fireflies. Odin turned off the lights inside the tent, sure that their haul would make for a sufficient nightlight. It was. The two jars glowed as if they had embers resting inside of them. 

When exhaustion finally gripped them, and it did fairly early, the twins curled up together against the pile of pillows. Odin tucked them in gently and kissed their foreheads. Then he moved out of the tent and sat next to Niles, who was already holding a prepared glass of wine for him. 

The two men sat in lawn chairs just outside the tent, a bottle of wine on the table between them, the embers of the firepit dying slowly in front of them. They were silent for a long while. Niles snuck a glance at Odin and found him looking at the stars. He was always looking at the stars when he was out here. He said they were prettier in the country than they were in the city. Niles knew that was true, he had been to big cities before. But even with the moon hanging in the middle of the clear sky so large and silver, he couldn’t pull his gaze away from Odin. 

“You alright?” Odin asked after a long moment, suddenly aware of the eye on him. 

Niles took a sip of his wine and said, “I’ll be fine, Odin. We’ll all be fine.” 

They clinked their glasses together in a silent prayer to whatever the future might hold for them, and the silence persisted well into the night.


	7. Every Time We Say Goodbye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is mostly about horses so... sorry about that...

The sun woke Odin up. It fluttered in through the drapes on the breeze, carrying with it the sounds of morning birds. With eyes still closed, he tried to stretch but found his bed to be heavy and restraining. He realized, quite suddenly, that there weren’t any drapes here, just the open flaps of his tent. And his bed wasn’t a bed at all, it was a pile of mismatched pillows and blankets. He was unable to stretch properly because two small bodies were curled up around his torso. Nina on his left and Ophelia on his right. And there was another, large breathing lump in the tent. Niles. Just on the other side of Ophelia. Sleeping peacefully.

Odin didn’t move. He froze where he was, afraid of waking up his family. And, admittedly, he was a little transfixed by Niles’ sleeping form. He wasn’t wearing his eyepatch, so Odin could see a faded scar across his face. His hair was a tangled mess above his head, unable to adapt to the varying levels of pillows he was sleeping on. One of his hands rested lightly on Ophelia’s shoulder. Odin could feel his heart pounding in his mouth and he wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. 

Thankfully it wasn’t too long before the sun woke Niles up too. He started to fidget and moan and Odin quickly shut his eyes and turned his head away to pretend like he was still asleep. There was some shuffling and then more light spilled into the tent. 

“Alright, wake up kids. It’s time to be grounded,” Niles said, gently shaking the girls. Odin popped one eye open, trying to act as groggy as possible. He noticed that Niles was wearing his eyepatch now. Odin felt like he’d earned a secret. 

The girls moaned and rolled closer to Odin. His heart fluttered with affection for both of them and he tightened his arms around their backs. Half of him wanted to relish this early morning cuddling while he still had both of his daughters. But another half of him, the half that was already wide awake and starting to ache from not being able to move, argued that rationally he had helped put off their punishment long enough. 

Odin patted their backs simultaneously and sat up. “Come on girls. Your dad is right. Time to be grounded.” 

Nina rubbed her eyes as she sat up. “We’re grounded to our room, right? Can we go back to sleep when we get there?” 

Niles let out a sharp laugh. “Oh no. Absolutely not. Go get dressed. After breakfast you’re going to be cleaning out the horse stables this morning.” 

The girls moaned in tandem, but they obeyed. They went up to their room to get dressed while Niles fixed breakfast. Odin preoccupied himself with taking down his tent set up from the night before. Niles told him he didn’t have to, that the help would be around later and they could handle it, but Odin wanted to do it. He didn’t know what else to do with himself. He didn’t want to sit in the kitchen and hover over Niles, that was for sure. 

When he was done, Odin came back inside to find the house eerily quiet. There were dishes in the sink that implied breakfast had been eaten. He figured Niles was escorting Ophelia and Nina to their chores. Odin was strangely comfortable with the silence. While they had been gone, he had spent most of his time in the silent house, snooping. He had managed to poke through most of the upstairs. He hadn’t gone through anything too private, simply poked through the common rooms to see what changes Niles had made in the past fourteen years. He had discovered that it wasn’t much at all. He had felt a deep sense of nostalgia with every new room he discovered. His body moved between the hallways and doorways on muscle memory. 

He hadn’t quite got to the downstairs before the others had come home early from camping. He fell easily back into where he had left off, browsing a giant bookcase in the living room. There was an eclectic mix of movies, antique books, picture frames, and tchotchkes. Every room Odin had visited, except the ones that were actively lived in, gave him the distinct impression that Niles had hired a decorator at one point. Odin had done all the decorating himself when he had lived in California, naturally. 

Odin glazed over the contents of the bookshelf until a photo album caught his eye. He plucked it off the shelf and absently wandered to the couch. 

The photo album was old. The first picture inside of it was of a young Niles, much younger than he was now at least, standing on a porch. The house behind him looked reminiscent of this one, but it was much more dilapidated. The windows were dark and the front door was completely missing. Beyond the vacant hole, the house looked abandoned. Niles wasn’t smiling in the picture, he was just standing near the open doorway, hands in his jean pockets. His expression would be unreadable to the casual layman, but as a person who had known him for a long time Odin thought he looked contemplative. He was sizing up the house and the land beyond it. Thinking about how much effort and time he was going to put into breathing it new life. 

There were a few more pictures of Niles’ life before Odin knew him. Not many, but a few. There were some pictures with Leo, some pictures of the house after it had been fixed up a little, and two pictures of grape bunches that were freshly grown. Then, just a few pages into the photo album, things took a heart wrenching turn. Odin started to see his own face. 

There were pictures of Niles and Odin in that first week when they were dizzyingly in love. There were pictures of their small wedding. There were even pictures of their honeymoon in the woods. Odin hadn’t even noticed that Niles had a camera on that trip. There were pictures of their lives together as newlyweds, living nine months in harmony and affection as they waited. Then, there they were. The twins. Brand new babies and all theirs. Odin stroked a finger down a picture of the babies swaddled next to each other in a crib. Pictures of them as a family. And then, slowly, Odin and one of the babies disappeared from the photos. Odin’s heart clenched in his chest. 

The door to the house abruptly opened and closed. Odin yelped and was yanked out of his memories. The shock ripped through his system. His heart was in his throat and his blood was on fire. He whirled on Niles, who suddenly paused in his approach, recognizing a wild deer when he saw one. 

“Hey,” Niles said, a smirk teasing at the corner of his lips. He craned his neck to see what Odin was doing while keeping his distance. “Whatcha doin?” 

“Not snooping!” Odin shouted shrilly. He cleared his throat and composed himself quickly, dodging around Niles’ amusement. “I found a book of memories and, for want of something to do, I was taking a journey through the past with it.” 

Consent to share this moment of alone time passed between them silently, so Niles crossed the room and took a seat next to Odin on the couch. They took careful pains not to touch each other while crowding around the same book. 

Niles looked down at the photo album wordlessly, fixating on the pictures Odin had been looking at when he was interrupted. Odin considered for a moment going back to the happier pictures. But there was nothing inherently sad about the pages he was on. They just made _him_ sad because he wasn’t a part of it. Niles, still careful not to brush fingers with Odin, reached over and pointed a picture that Odin hadn’t quite had time to absorb. 

In it, Nina was still a baby. But she was sitting up and her eyes were wide and her mouth made a little ‘O’. Niles smiled softly as he said, “Leo doesn't believe me, but I swear that was the first word she ever said.” 

“What was it?” Odin said. He perked up instantly. In the picture, Nina was identical to how Ophelia had looked just before her first birthday. The wisp of white hair, the large green eyes, a couple of teeth poking out of her mouth. When Ophelia had said her first word, it had been the best day in Odin’s life to that point. He was suddenly struck with a bittersweetness of having missed Nina’s moment but being able to hear it now. 

“It was…” Niles cut himself off with a short snort. “She said booty.” 

Odin snorted too. He couldn’t help it. “Ophelia’s first word was star. Isn’t that strange? Don’t most babies say ‘dada’ first? They both had every opportunity and still chose to deviate from the norm.” 

“Yeah, they’re special,” Niles agreed. Odin turned the page and Niles pointed to another picture immediately. “That was the first time Nina walked on her own. I almost didn’t catch her because I was too busy taking the picture. And I think on the next page is a photo of her going to her first day of school.” 

Odin took a peek and bit back a laugh. “Niles, those braids are horrendous.” 

“I know. At least I tried.” His smile faltered. His eye trained on the picture of young Nina and he took a deep breath before he continued. “I was a single father. And probably not very good at it. But I tried.” 

Mirth drained out of the conversation. Odin flipped through a few more photos of Nina growing up and, while he had a certain joy over finally being able to glimpse this part of her life, he was suddenly very sad too. He could look at pictures of Nina growing up, but he could never experience it. Losing these moments was the price he paid for running away. 

When Odin closed the book, the soft clap it made was deafening. He took a deep breath, unsure of what to say as he and Niles sat in silence. 

“I’m sorry,” Niles said after a beat long enough to make it awkward. “I didn’t say that to make you feel guilty. You did what you had to do. And you were a single father too, it wasn’t easy for either of us.” 

“No, I know,” Odin said, placating him. “I’ll be fine. Despite our greatest efforts, we cannot change the past. We can only look to the future.” 

He didn’t say it outloud, but Odin didn’t want to talk about this anymore. Mostly because he didn’t know how to talk about it. There wasn’t a guide book for dealing with the very particular way Niles and Odin had screwed up in their children's lives. He would have to take his own advice and quite dwelling on what he had lost so he could focus on what he had regained this summer. 

Niles must have been feeling something similar, because with a sharp inhale he changed the subject. “So, did you plan to do anything while you were in the states?” 

“No,” Odin said, shrugging. “I wasn’t planning on being here long, to be perfectly honest. Even now, I’m just waiting for Laslow to get back so we can prepare to leave.” 

Speaking of, Laslow sure was taking his sweet time with Xander. They were going on days now since he and Soleil had left. Odin hadn’t heard from him at all. Granted, he hadn’t really reached out. 

Odin was just about reach for his phone so that he could text Laslow when Niles said, “Well, since the girls are cleaning the stable, do you want to go for a ride? It’ll help them if we take the horses out for a little while.” 

Odin smiled and his mission was instantly forgotten. He hadn’t been horseback riding in years. He stood up, already brimming with energy. He had spent most of his time here cooped up in the house. He hadn’t even considered exploring the acres of land Niles had. He suddenly craved fresh air. “What an inspired idea! Hurry Niles, I don’t want to wait another second!” 

*** 

It had truly been a while since Odin had been on a horse. He thought it might be like what they say about riding a bike. Easy, muscle memory. That was true, mostly, but there was some adjustment. He insisted on tacking the horse himself, even though he only kind of remembered how. He wavered a little in his seat when he was finally up. Something felt wrong. He chalked it up to his memory falling just short. 

Niles, already on his horse and handling it expertly, peered at Odin. “Are you okay?” he asked, a hint of suspicion in his tone. 

Odin sat up as straight as he could, his shoulders rolled back. The end effect felt a little slanted, but he was sure it was in his head. He was unbalanced, and that was fine because, again, this was his first ride in a long time. “I’m marvelous, Niles!” he answered in a booming voice. He tried to take one hand off the reigns to hold out dramatically, but the horse took a step forward and he panicked, grabbing it again. A little weaker now, he finished with, “Just marvelous.” 

Niles nodded, an amused smirk on his lips. “Well how about you take the lead? Set your own pace, I’ll keep an eye on you.” 

Odin nodded and was about to order his horse to move forward when a sound from the entrance to the stable caught his attention. It was a little sound, almost like an ‘awe’. Without turning his horse or his body for fear of losing balance again, Odin craned his neck to see who was interrupting. 

Nina and Ophelia’s heads poked out from around the corner of the stable, one stacked on the other. He wasn’t sure which one had uttered the offending noise, but he cleared his throat and they both jumped. “Shouldn’t you two be working?” 

Niles turned then too and the girls leapt to attention, though the smiles on their faces could hardly be hidden. “That’s what we’re doing!” Nina proclaimed. 

“Go on and have fun! We’ve got the cleaning under control!” Ophelia agreed. 

“Don’t hurry back! Take your time.” Then they were gone again, running and giggling away. Odin repressed a sigh and turned back to the task at hand. 

He had grown quite comfortable standing still and the sudden jerk of his horse moving almost sent him flying. He tried to keep his composure though. Tried not to yelp. (Maybe a small yelp broke through.) He didn’t go flying, he stayed in the saddle. And with every step he grew more confident and a smile broke like the sunrise on his features. 

Odin and Niles walked slowly through the vineyard. Odin admired all of the robust vines as they walked, congratulation Niles on his crop. It truly looked more alive than Odin had ever seen it. He suddenly felt very guilty. Laslow and Odin had indeed spent an afternoon drinking some wine from Niles’ vast collection, but none of it had been Zero Regrets. He hadn’t been brave enough, electing instead to drink some of the bottles that he knew weren’t rare or expensive. 

“I’d like to try some of your wine when we get back,” Odin said suddenly, twisting to face Niles who was coming up beside him. “If Laslow isn’t back yet.” 

Niles had his gaze focused on the path ahead. They were going uphill. Odin didn’t remember this area as well as he had other parts of the property. “Oh my wine is okay, but I’m sure I have something better we can share. Take a left up here, Odin, we’re almost there.” 

Almost where? They were going in the opposite direction of the house and the vineyard. As far as he remembered there was nothing much out here other than miscellaneous wilderness. Last time he had been here, none of it was tamed. Now, the trees and grass looked a little more manicured. He assumed Niles had more resources to hire people to take care of his property. But still, he hardly recognized this area anymore. 

He turned left when the path branched, as Niles had requested. It was almost too easy of an adjustment to make as Odin already felt like he was leaning a little to the left in his saddle. The sensation hadn’t passed even as the riding had gotten easier, but he didn’t bring it up. It wasn’t a big issue. He could handle it. 

A little further down that path and then Odin realized what Niles had meant when he said they were ‘almost there’. A small look out opened in front of him. The view of the sprawling hills below was framed by trees that crested around the top of the path. The sky was bright blue hitting the green horizon hard. Everything was vibrant with life and color. It looked like a painting, or a movie in bright technicolor. It hardly looked real at all. 

Odin was speechless. The view had sucked all of the words out of him. He was transported to a world of adventure and magic. His mind and heart now lived on the wind rushing past him, over the green expanse. He wasn’t on a horse standing next to his ex anymore, he was a free bird with the entire world below him. He was back home. His home away from home. He had forgotten how he felt here. 

He was a little lost in his imagination and so he didn’t realize when an actual bird flew too close to his horse. He didn’t notice his horse was backing up, back down the path, until he start to slip. The horse flicked its head backwards and Odin yelled, “Whoa!” At the same time Niles yelled something incomprehensible. 

Odin realized, in exactly a split second as he was falling, what had been wrong the whole time. His girth was loose. And he had been slowly slipping to the left the entire ride. It was so gradual, he hadn’t considered it a problem, but now it was definitely a problem. The horse backed up right into a tree and Odin when slipping into the branches, unable to right himself in time. Fortunately, the branches ripped him right out of the stirrups, so he wasn’t underneath the horse when the whole ordeal was over. Unfortunately, he heard a distinct rip and felt a breeze in a compromising place. 

Niles was at his side before Odin’s brain could even catch up to process what had happened. He stilled the horse and then offered a hand to help Odin out of the tree. Odin took it and groaned for minor pain that shot down his arms and back. When he moved he felt and heard the rip again. Horrified, his eyes traveled down. Sure enough, Odin had a huge rip right in the crotch of his pants. His face turned red instantly. 

“Are you hurt?” Niles asked, unaware at first of what Odin had discovered. But soon enough his own eye traveled south too and grew wide. He snapped his attention back up to Odin’s face as quick as lightning. His mouth pressed into a hard line, obviously holding something back. 

“I’m right as rain,” Odin said weakly. “I don’t think I’m seriously injured. At least, not as bad as my...” He covered himself up as best as he could. Even the peak of his briefs felt too scandalous. Niles cleared his throat but didn’t say anything. 

Odin brushed himself off and struggled with the open flap of his pants, trying to see if there was any way to salvage it or at least find some momentary decency. Niles preoccupied himself with fixing the saddle on Odin’s horse. 

“Oh no,” Niles said quietly after a moment. 

A tingle went down Odin’s arms. He lifted his head up from his uselessly torn pants, but he had an even worse feeling about whatever Niles was about to say. “What’s wrong?” 

“I think Sprout sprained his ankle,” Niles said. He bent under the horse, who indeed was not putting any weight on his back left foot, and picked up a decent sized rock. “We’ve got to get him home. And I don’t think…” Niles’ voice trailed off. 

Odin knew what suggestion laid in the unspoken words. The horse couldn’t be ridden. Odin would have to walk home, which would be inconvenient with his pants situation. Or… 

“It’s okay,” Odin said, his voice pitching a little as he said it. “I can ride with you. No problem.” 

“You sure?” Niles asked. “Because we can just walk if that would make you feel more comfortable.” 

“No, we should get home quickly,” Odin said. “For Sprout’s sake.” 

Riding with Niles was going to be awkward even if Odin’s pants hadn’t ripped at a very delicate place. But they had, so it was incredibly more awkward than necessary. Or at least, that was what Odin was anticipating. But as Niles helped him climb up to the back of the hose and they made their way back home, Odin felt strangely comfortable. Niles was in front of him, holding two different reigns in two different hands. He was concentrated on his work, getting the horses back safely. Odin got to watch him. He watched the bounce of his shoulders and the ripple of his arms as he moved the reigns to direct the horses. 

Odin’s hands were rested on Niles’ hips to keep from falling off but Niles didn't seem to notice. So Odin decided to do something a little more brave. He leaned into Niles’ back and wrapped his arms around his middle. Odin rested his forehead in the middle of Niles’ back and said softly, “Thank you for taking me up here. The view was worth it.” Niles didn’t say a word in response and Odin didn’t lift his head to see if he reacted. He wasn’t even sure Niles had heard him. Despite the fact that Odin wasn’t sitting in a saddle, the way home felt much more secure than the way out had felt. He was comfortable and safe. 

They got to the stables and Odin dismounted, almost reluctantly. Niles dismounted beside him and for a moment, they smiled at each other and were at peace. Then a shrill noise from the stable reminded Odin of how much trouble he was in. The girls were nearby and they were at risk of being caught in compromising situation. 

Odin ducked his head instinctually as a laugh from one of his daughters rang out around him. Niles lifted an eyebrow. “What are you doing?” 

“I must find a stealthy way to get back to the house without the girls seeing me!” Odin hissed. 

“Okay… Why?” 

“Because…” Odin paused. Why? Because he had hugged Niles the whole way home and he was certain they could see it on his face? “Because… They’ll make fun of me for ripping my pants.” 

Niles chuckled. “Oh probably. Do you want me to hide you?” 

“Yes,” Odin said, ducking behind one of the horse’s giant haunches. “Don’t let them see me.” Niles was still laughing as he started to walk the horses into the stable. 

The sound of the girls approached caused Odin to go stiff. He bit his lips to keep his voice from leaking out, even though he knew he wasn’t perfectly hidden. Indeed, Nina craned her neck as she took one of the reigns from Niles and said, “Is that Papa behind you?” 

Niles opened his mouth to answer but Odin’s voice boomed over him, “Your Papa is not here at the moment! There is nothing to see behind this horse! But keep your eyes on the shadows because he is an agent of darkness and you never know when he might-” 

The horse took a sharp step to the side and Odin was almost exposed. Fortunately, he was swift on his feet and ducked behind Niles in time. In another life, where Nina had less reason to be excited about her parents hanging out without any sort of prompting, she might have rolled her eyes. Instead, she just grinned, smug about accomplishments that were not hers to claim. 

“You cannot expose me,” Odin hissed from around Niles’ waist. He was crouched, completely engrossed in his impromptu game of stealth. He had almost completely forgotten why he was hiding in the first place. His head felt light, almost giddy. 

Nina almost laughed out loud. Instead she said, “Okay, well you two seem busy, so I’m going to let you get back to it.” 

Niles told her to be careful with the horse and that he would be back in a bit to help with the ankle. In the meantime, he humored Odin by walking backwards away from the stable, slowly so that he didn’t step on Odin’s toes. When they were far enough away, Odin turned and sprinted toward the front porch. Niles was a little caught off guard, but he quickly recovered and followed at a quick jog. 

Odin leaned against the door when it was closed behind him. He was winded from sprinting and a laugh was caught on his lips. His ripped pants were now fully on display, but Niles didn’t look at them. It took a moment for Odin to recollect his modesty and cover his exposed underwear. His ears turned pink, but the smile stayed for a while. 

“That was a bit thrilling,” Odin said breathlessly. “I felt like a teenager with a handful of shenanigans.” 

“You didn’t have to be so theatrical about it,” Niles countered. He was grinning too, despite his chastising tone. “The girls would not have cared. They probably care a lot more now, actually, since you made such a big deal about sneaking around. Who knows what they think we’re up to now.” 

“It’s fine,” Odin said, nodding his head and smiling into the distance. “Let them have their guesses and their stories. It’s not like anything is actually going on between us, so their imaginations can fill in the void.” 

An uninvited silence sucked the mirth out of the room and stood in its place. Odin hadn’t planned his words carefully and now he was paying the price with his own awkwardness. He hadn’t meant to imply out loud that anything could exist between him and Niles. He hadn’t meant to reveal that his daughters’ barely kept secret plan to get them back together had been on his mind. 

Niles’ expression was unreadable, even to someone who thought himself so skilled at reading it. “Go ahead and get changed. I’m going to get some ice on Sprout’s ankle and call the vet.” 

Odin nodded and walked past him. He held his breath until he heard the front door open and close again. Halfway up the stairs, Odin released his breath, but he had to brace himself against the wall. His heart was thudding wildly in his chest. He wasn't quite sure why he was so worked up. The crash. The sneaking around. The acknowledgment of the delicate boundaries between Niles and him. 

Odin finished climbing the stairs to his guest room and changed pants quickly. He was unsure of how much longer Ophelia and Nina would be doing their chores and he wasn’t positive Niles would want to pick up where they left off on their day hanging out when he was done taking care of the horse. He almost hoped he would. 

Before Odin could return to his new favorite past time of snooping through the life he had left behind, a small knock on his open doorway startled him. He turned to find Niles leaning casually against it, his arms crossed and a charming smirk splayed across his features. Odin’s heart inexplicably startled him with a sharp stutter. Even when he wasn’t trying, Niles was sort of handsome. 

“The girls are giving the horses a bath,” Niles explained. “The vet is on his way, but he knows me well and he’ll take care of Sprout. You wanna have that glass of wine I promised you while we still have a moment of privacy?” 

“Sure,” Odin said. He was almost sheepish as he said it, and he couldn’t help the grin that tugged at the corner of his mouth. 

Odin hadn’t actually been down in Niles’ wine cellar yet. He and Laslow had discussed going a couple of days ago, but ended up raiding the wine cabinet instead. The cellar was an entire building all on its own. Niles had stacks and stacks of wine. His personal collection as well as stock of his own wine among aging barrels underground. The floors and walls were unfinished brick. It was cool and smelled a little dusty, but in a good old library sort of way instead of unclean house sort of way. Niles led him directly to a locked glass cabinet and creaked open the doors. 

“It’s been a while since I’ve had a drink with you,” Niles said as he browsed his choices. “What do you like these days?” 

Odin tried to keep his embarrassed blush at bay, but to no avail. “I have to admit I don’t drink much wine these days. Sometimes a glass with my mother, but that’s it. Why don't you chose, you're the expert.” 

Niles rubbed his chin and Odin could hear the scritch of his skin against the shadow of his stubble. “Hmm, I wonder…” 

He grabbed a bottle that had a thin layer of dust on it. Odin knew that was a sign of good wine. He wanted to object, wanted to say that Niles shouldn’t waste a bottle he had been preserving for so long just on him, but Niles was already leading the way to a small collection of tables and chairs. They were black wrought iron with intricate designs of vines and grapes in them. It was a place where customers could come taste test the Zero Regrets wine, though it was empty today. 

Niles pulled out a chair for Odin then went to a little bar off to the side. A moment later, the dusted bottle was sitting in a bucket of ice, cooling down as it should be. 

“You could have opened a dry wine,” Odin pointed out, hoping that he didn’t come across as impatient. “My mother likes dark reds, I’m quite used to them now.” 

Niles hummed. “I’m sure, but I think you’re just about the only person I can share this bottle with. It’ll be worth the wait, trust me.” 

Odin took a longer look at the label of the bottle that was poking out of the top of the ice. He wouldn’t say it looked familiar, but his heart felt congested with a strange feeling. They composition of colors was almost nostalgic. “Why me? I do not have a refined taste for wine and if anyone knows that about me it's you, Niles.” 

Niles chuckled. “I know. This is the riesling we tried on the night we met.” 

Odin’s eyes grew wide and he peeled them away from the bucket. Niles was almost smug over his big reveal. “I bought a couple of bottles from the bartender that night. It’s not particularly rare or delicious, but it felt important at the time. Of course, now I can’t find it anywhere so I’m glad I bought them back then.” 

“You bought a couple of bottles?” Odin asked. He wanted to be reassured that he wasn't drinking the last bottle of something important to Niles. 

“Yes. But I drank the other one. The night you left.” 

Odin fell silent. He wasn’t sure how to respond. He wasn’t sure, if he was being totally honest, what he was going to do if their conversations kept veering toward the subject of their relationship, past or otherwise. 

The ice clinked together softly as Niles withdrew the bottle and poured them small glasses. Odin took a small sip and immediately felt two simultaneous sensations. 

The first one could only be described as actual time travel. The sweetness on on his tongue tasted like a cool night dancing under the stars while his head grew fuzzy and his heart grew full. He remembered falling in love, very quickly, with a man who had two sky blue eyes and a rumble of a laugh that quaked through his bones. 

The second emotion was the one he chose to show on his face, his lips pursed unpleasantly. “That’s not great,” he said with a short chuckle. “Did I used to like this?” 

Niles laughed. “You did. It was the gateway to your brief wine addiction.” 

“Hard to believe,” Odin said. He put the glass down but smiled fondly at it. “I drink such different flavors now.” 

Niles hummed thoughtfully. “I did manage to train you pallets a little in those months we were together. You can tell your mother I said you’re welcome.” 

Odin laughed. He took the glass to his lips for another drink. He didn’t want to waste the last of this bottle after all. Even if it was too sweet, there was something special about sharing it with Niles. 

He opened his mouth, unsure of what he was about to say, when footsteps echoed down the hall and interrupted them. It was Ophelia and as she got closer, she slowed down and looked between them, her eyes wide. 

“Sorry to interrupt,” she said, one foot braced behind her as if she was going to run. “We finished cleaning. But we can occupy ourselves until you-” 

Niles stood, cutting her off. “I’ve got to do an inspection, and then I guess I should feed you for your hard work.” 

Odin stood too, unsure if he should take his glass with him or not. The cellar was cool, but he wasn't going to sit down there alone if Niles was leaving. Ophelia was gone as quickly as she had come and Niles hesitated, turning his body half a step back toward Odin. Odin hesitated too, the glass held limply in his hands. Their alone time was going to be over after this. The girls would be free from their assigned chores. They would be back in the house and it was a little bittersweet. 

“Thank you for sharing the wine with me,” Odin said. “I’m going to drink a little more while you see to the girls, if you don’t mind.” 

“Of course I don’t mind. I opened it for you,” Niles said. He hesitated again. So did Odin. The tension between them was mutual and palpable. And then Niles stopped hesitating. He leaned forward and Odin felt the brush of his lips against his own cheek before his eyes were able to process what was happening. 

Niles pulled back, daring to look a little surprised by his own actions. But he quickly recovered and said, “See you upstairs.” 

Despite his resolve of not wanting to be alone in the cellar, Odin’s feet couldn’t move at first. Niles left him and he stood there in the cool dimness, one hand clutching a glass of fourteen year old wine and the other lightly caressing his own burning cheek. 

*** 

_Odin was impulsive by nature. When he wanted to open his own business, he did it right away, with Laslow barely gripping the back of his shirt to slow him down and think through it. When he wanted to change his name, he had rushed out the front door with his mother yelling after him to at least sit on it for a while. When he felt destiny pulling him toward America, he hopped on a plane with no plans of what he was going to do once he got there._

_He knew when he fell into bed with Niles after knowing him for just a few hours that he was being impulsive again. To his credit, though, he wasn’t the only impulsive one in the particular string of decisions on which they built their relationship. It takes two to tango, and Niles was an eager dancer._

_“Are you awake?” Odin could feel Niles’ voice better than he could hear it. It vibrated under his ear as it was glued to Niles’ bare pectoral._

_“I haven’t slept at all,” Odin said breathlessly. Now that he had confirmation that Niles was awake too, he pulled his body up a little. Their skin, sticky with sweat, peeled apart audibly._

_Niles smirked. There was a fire in his eyes. “I’ll gladly take full responsibility for that.” Odin felt his ears go pink, but he smirked too. It was far too late for him to be bashful about how long they had stayed up doing the things they had been doing._

_Odin shifted a little so that his chin could rest on his hands, propped up on Niles’ chest. He had a rather unflattering angle on Niles from down there. It was cute._

_“Do you want to talk to Leo today?”_

_Odin sighed, then smiled to himself with satisfaction when his breath over Niles’ nipple made him shudder. It was subtle but it didn’t escape Odin. “No. If I get business with the Nohr family I don’t want it to feel like a sexual favor. I should probably contact my friend, though. He’s probably worried about me, assuming he didn’t also go home with a stranger.”_

_Reluctantly, Odin peeled his whole body away from Niles. He sat up on the bed and stretched before standing up to find his underwear and pants. He didn’t think anything of it as he threw his clothes on. He didn’t notice Niles looking particularly pensive in the bed until he turned around, one arm still struggling its way through his shirt sleeve. There was something about his demeanor that gave Odin pause._

_“Can we… Can I see you again?” Niles asked, his voice barely above a grumble._

_Odin gulped as his heart tried to climb up his throat. “Of course,” he said. “I’ll be here for a few more weeks before I have to return to London. You can see me as often as you like.” He meant that too. He had thoroughly enjoyed himself last night. If anything, he was just a little taken aback. Niles had seemed so much like the one night stand kind of guy._

_Niles smirked at him, satisfied for a moment. Then he shook his head. “No. I don’t think I will be able to see you as often as I like. I don't think I could ever get my fill of you.”_

_Odin followed his impulse and ran to the bed. He was dressed and Niles was naked, but he pounced at him anyway. He was too excited that Niles felt something similar to what he was feeling. That their one night stand was too good to be just that. He carded his fingers through Niles’ hair, catching on a few tangles as he went. It was silky smooth and shimmered as he held it up to the rays of the sun poking through the hotel room drapes._

_“Niles, I-”_

_Odin was about to confess his world to Niles. He was going to tell him the forbidden feeling that had been tickling the back of his mind since the night before, but Niles put a finger to his lips and he obeyed the unspoken order._

_“I know this is probably too much to ask, but I have to try. I’d like you to hang around a little longer than just a couple of weeks.”_

_“I have to go back to England at some point,” Odin said, smirking as he continued to pet Niles’ hair. He straddled Niles and bent over him, almost taunting, Niles just gazed up at him with so much longing in his shimmering blue eyes._

_“Well you shouldn’t leave before you have a reason to come back,” Niles said._

_“What are you saying?” Odin asked, because he genuinely had no idea what Niles was getting at._

_“Let's get married.”_

_Odin wanted to laugh. They had joked about so much last night in the throws of passion. But Niles was serious. He had never looked so serious. Odin swallowed his laugh._

_“You mean it?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper._

_“I mean it,” Niles confirmed with a little nod of his head. His arms rubbed up Odin’s back, bunching up his shirt. “Don't leave me yet. Marry me.”_

_“Okay,” Odin said, a smile infecting his expression. Their mouths were so close. He couldn’t raise his voice above a whisper._

_Odin forgot to call Laslow for several more hours after that. He laid on top of Niles as they talked over the details and bore their crazy idea into reality. Odin made plans to make a suit. Niles formed a small guest list. They talked over plans for Odin to move into Niles’ large home on the vineyard and Odin, at some point, called his mother. She told him it was impulsive and Odin agreed with her. Of course it was impulsive. And it was Niles’ idea. They were on the same page and that was proof enough that it was best impulse decision Odin had ever made._

*** 

“Niles, taste this.” 

Niles turned from where he was working and came face to face with a plump red grape. He barely had a moment to open his mouth before Odin popped it in. Niles’ eye grew wide as he chewed. “What did you do to that grape?” he asked a second later after swallowing it. 

Odin smirked and turned back to his big bowl of fresh fruit. “Just a little trick I learned from the TV a while back. The fruit will last longer and it tastes delicious.” 

“What is it? Some kind of glaze or-” 

Niles reached for the bowl of fruit again but Odin shook his head and pulled it back. “Try as you might you will never tear this secret from me. You have your thing you do with grapes, Odin Dark has a few tricks of own! And don’t eat all of them we have to save some for the girls!” 

Niles must have seen that as a challenge because a moment later Odin was dodging around him, hopping around the kitchen and the dining area, trying to keep his precious bowl of fruit safe as Niles pursued. They were both laughing. It felt like the natural next step of the day that they would be teasing each other and playing around like children in this big house they would have shared. 

Their playful shouts must have summoned their children to them because as Odin ran into the living room, he was greeted by Nina and Ophelia, standing at the base of the stairs. They were in fresh clothes and were probably hungry, and Ophelia was clutching a small wrapped package in her hands. But lunch and the package were temporarily forgotten by all. They wore identical stunned expressions at having caught their parents playing. Then they exchanged a look and smiled. 

They were triumphant. Their expressions read as though they had won something. And all at once Odin realized what he was doing. He was flirting with Niles. He had been flirting all day. That was why Niles had kissed his cheek. He had invited it. A wave of shame and regret rolled over him and made him feel nauseous enough that he set the bowl of fruit down on the nearest table. 

What did Odin think was going to happen? That he was going to rekindle his relationship with Niles so easily? Fourteen years of heartbreak and just because Niles’ most recent fiancé was gone he thought he could pick up right where they had left off? It was ridiculous. He had think about this like an adult. And adult with children whose lives hung in the balance. If something went wrong down the line with Niles again, the girls were old enough now that they could be dragged into the emotional crossfire. Odin couldn’t risk it. He made a snap decision to distance himself immediately. 

“After lunch, I’d like you to start packing, Ophelia,” Odin said authoritatively. The smile slipped off Niles and his daughter’s faces simultaneously. “Laslow will be back any moment now, I’m sure, we have to be ready to leave.” 

Ophelia turned pale. “Wait, what? We’re going to leave?” 

Odin raised an eyebrow, trying to look shocked about her question. “Of course, why would we stay?” 

Ophelia looked down at the package in her hands suddenly, then stepped forward, offering it to her Papa. “This is why.” 

Odin cautiously unwrapped the present. He braced himself, but nothing could have prepared him for what was inside. A framed photo of him and Niles, the night they met, toasting and grinning at each other. It had been ripped down the middle at one point, and now it was taped together and protected under the shimmering glass of the frame. It was the first time Odin had seen that picture whole in so many years. It was the first time he had seen it at all since he had shoved the crumpled half of Niles in the back of his sock drawer and all but forgot about it. 

“Girls,” Odin said softly, unable to take his eyes of the picture. He could feel Niles breathing over his shoulder as he looked at it too. “We’re not… Getting back together.” 

“Why not?” Nina asked. “Charlotte is gone and you seem happy together. Don’t you lo-” 

“It's far more complicated than that,” Odin said firmly. “We can’t just… That’s not how this works.” He reached behind him and put the photo into Niles’ hands before running to the stairs. He had to get away from this interrogation. For once in his life he had to stick by logic and not let his emotions sway him. “I’m going to go pack, enjoy lunch.” He mumbled over his shoulder as he took the stairs two at a time. 

At the top of the stairs, Odin was jerked out of his melancholy by a strong hand around his wrist. He was only a little surprised that Niles had followed him. Odin turned around, ready to give Niles a piece of his mind too, but Niles was already talking. 

“I know our relationship has been fucked up since it began,” Niles said slowly, quietly. “I asked you to marry me the day after we met. We started the process of having children a week after our wedding. Everything went so fast and we didn’t talk about the long run at all, and that's why our jobs were able to come between us. But if what we needed time, then we got it. I told Charlotte that I chose my family.” 

“Great,” Odin said, yanking his hand back. He was absolutely not going to cave into that expression Niles was giving him. “If we’re going to have dual custody from here on out, I’m happy knowing that my daughters will come before your job while they’re here.” 

“ _Odin_ ,” Niles said sternly. His teeth gritted. “I chose my _whole_ family.” 

Odin closed his mouth. He took a deep breath and counted to five. His heart was racing. For once in his life, he had to fight against the impulse. “The time for that came and went long ago. I’m not your family anymore,” he said quietly. Then he finished his walk to the guest room and shut the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the last chapter will be shorter than most and i'm either going to upload it tonight or tomorrow. :) thank you for your patience as always


	8. This Will Be An Everlasting Love

It was pouring when Laslow showed up a few excruciating hours later. Odin had finally called him, apologized profusely and begged him to come back. He knew Laslow was having the time of his life with his new boyfriend. He knew Soleil was being pampered. But he needed to leave, he needed to get out of California and out of Niles’ life again before he made a grave mistake. And like the good friend he was, Laslow came running.

Odin stood at the doorway of the house, his arms wrapped around his body. He blinked up at the gray sky through the deluge then down at Laslow who was standing on his tiptoes against Xander Nohr, his head disappeared beneath the umbrella they shared. Soleil waited patiently nearby with another umbrella that, after he was done saying goodbye, Laslow ducked under. Xander left and Laslow and Soleil rushed to the front door, kicking up mud and disturbing puddles with every step they took. 

“I’m sorry,” Odin said weakly as they approached. His guilt was an ever growing pit of lava resting at the bottom of his gut. 

Laslow shook his head and put a hand on his best friend’s shoulder. “Don’t ever apologize. Did you find tickets?” 

Odin nodded. They were last minute tickets, they wouldn’t all have seats together, but they would make do. The plane departed in just a couple of hours so they had to get going right away. 

The girls appeared then and embraced Soleil, who found a place between them both. None of them spoke, but a silent conversation was exchanged nevertheless. 

_We failed._

_No, you did your best._

_Our best wasn’t good enough._

Soleil patted Ophelia on the shoulder to dismiss her, after all they were going away together, and turned her entire attention on Nina. She put both of her hands on Nina’s shoulders and held her almost at arm's length, as if she were sizing her up. And neither of them asked the question they wanted to. _The plan didn’t work and we’re going to be apart. So does that mean we shouldn’t be together after all?_

“I’ll write,” Soleil said instead. 

“You better,” Nina scolded, trying to sound cheerful even though she had a distinct feeling that even if it were true, one day the letters would stop. 

Soleil hesitated. She hovered over Nina, wavering on a goodbye kiss. To her own heart’s pain and shock, she thought better of it, and instead patted Nina on the shoulder before pulling away to help load the suitcases in the taxi they had called. 

Like a baton, Nina allowed herself to be passed off to Ophelia. It was only then that she started to cry, the tears silently streaming down her face in a passable impression of the current weather. Ophelia gripped her sister tightly and said, “This doesn’t change anything. We found each other, Nina. We’ll be together again. We just have to be a little more patient.” 

“I know,” Nina said, even though she wasn’t sure she believed it. 

Then the girls peeled away from each other and turned to their fathers, the men they were going to leave behind. No future plans had been set in stone yet for how they would all see each other again. They knew they would; now that the secret was out there was no putting it back. But time could be cruel. It could stretch on forever. 

Nina pressed up against Odin who smoothed her hair down and fiddled with her braids and kissed the top of her head and quietly apologized. Ophelia reached up and wrapped her arms around Niles’ neck so she could kiss his cheek as he almost picked her off the ground with the strength of his hug. 

It was all sad and horrible. And the rain was coming down so hard, the broken family could barely hear each other. Ophelia almost missed it, in fact, when Niles’ mouth came close to her ear and whispered, “I’ll figure something out. Don’t give up.” 

Her heart leapt and her eyes flew open in shock. But she couldn’t respond. She was being drug to the taxi. She was being driven to the airport and then she was being flown far away from her family. But a flame had been ignited as she watched America fall away beneath her. A little flame of hope. 

*** 

_They were perfect. From the moment Odin laid eyes on the girls, he knew they would be special. They were dark skinned and had little wisps of white hair on the top of their heads. They looked so much like Niles it was unreal. Odin didn’t search them for his own features, knowing that none would be present even if he tried. The surrogate they had chosen looked like him well enough, but that had only been a low stakes gamble. Even if they never developed a lean frame like him or his bright green eyes, he would adore them. Partly because they did look so much like the man he loved, but mostly because either way, they were his._

_“What sort of sorcery is this?” Odin said with a grandiose nature that only he could pull off while whispering. “They are just a few hours old and already their illusionary powers have surfaced! I can hardly tell them apart.”_

_“It’s easy,” Niles said, leaning over him. “Nina has a dimple on one cheek that Ophelia doesn’t have. Just one. See it there?”_

_Odin peered at the babies. He thought he saw it when compared to the other one, but then Nina’s little chubby hand swiped across her cheek and her mouth opened and it was gone. He smiled. “I confess, I think I need practice.”_

_Niles hummed and rested his chin on Odin’s shoulder. He wrapped his arms around Odin’s stomach, consequently helping him hold the two bundles as they stood there. “It’s fine. Even I can only see it when they’re right next to each other like this. Besides, you’ll have all the time in the world. I’m sure you’ll be a pro at telling them apart by the time they’re four. Or at least, hopefully before they figure out they can use that power against us.”_

_Odin’s mouth fell open. “You suspect they’ll play such tricks on us?”_

_“Oh absolutely,” Niles said. “The first day of school, they’re going to wear each other clothes and before we know it we’re going to send them off into society, pretending to be each other. They’ll fool their teacher for at least a couple of months before we figure out what is going on.”_

_“No,” Odin gasped. He tried his hardest to sound attacked and not amused, but it was very difficult. He was just so happy, it was almost impossible not to laugh. “My daughters will be heroes with heaps of integrity. They would never fool a hapless citizen like that.”_

_“Well sure, maybe_ your _children wouldn’t. But my children? Lord have mercy on the people who have to deal with them.”_

_“Niles, what are we going to do?” Odin hissed. He was grinning from ear to ear. “How will we raise these girls so that they get the best traits from both of us but don’t grow up to be reckless tricksters constantly fighting back their innate darkness?”_

_“You mean how do we raise them so that they’re not shitheads and nerds?”_

_“I liked how I said it better,” Odin whispered with a small pout._

_Niles laughed airily and squeezed Odin. The babies were sound asleep, though one of them squirmed as the nest of arms grew tighter around them for just a moment. “We can’t guarantee anything. We’ll just have to raise them as we are and hope for the best. Besides. Even if they do turn out to be shitheads or nerds, we’ll still love them.”_

_Niles was right. Odin didn’t know he could love something as much as he loved the two bundles in his arms. Even if it was going to be hard raising twins, as so many people had warned. They could pull as many switching pranks on him as they liked. As long as they were his, he’d give them all he had every day for the rest of his life._

*** 

“Oh no, you're back,” Lissa said as she greeted her son and granddaughter at the door of their home. 

They were so tired. Odin had bags under his eyes and Ophelia’s joints ached from sitting for so long. Lissa looked as distraught as they felt as they entered the quiet house. 

“Of course we are,” Odin said, trying to make it seem like the most obvious thing in the world. “Not all journey’s need be long affairs, mother. I have returned with our Ophelia. Nina will be visiting over Christmas.” 

He hadn’t actually discussed that plan with Niles yet, but he had thought a lot about it on the plane ride home. He had spent most of the trip thinking about when he would next get to see his other daughter, in fact. He would call Niles in due time, of course, but he needed some space first, to heal and forget. 

Lissa took one of Ophelia’s hands in her own and squeezed it sympathetically. “Are you okay, dear?” 

“I’m fine,” Ophelia croaked. She wasn’t, but she even tried to smile to sell it. “I’m just thankful that I met my sister and that we got to spend nearly the whole summer together.” 

It had taken a whole day to get home, between the flights and the time changes. Laslow and Soleil were back at their home, probably resting. Odin wondered if he should treat Ophelia to a fancy dinner or something to make up for what he had taken from her, but even as he considered it he knew there was nothing he could do except let her rest too. 

Odin passed the remainder of the day trying to fight off jet lag. He unpacked and muddled around his house. He talked with his mother but not about anything important. And occasionally, when his guard was down, he found himself glancing around corners. He wasn’t quite sure what he was expecting to find. Certainly not Niles. Some things never changed and this wasn’t a movie. The best happily ever after Odin could hope for was a smooth transition in their custody agreement. 

Night finally arrived and Odin was so thankful. He went right to Ophelia’s door to tell her good night and stopped, his knuckles hovering over the closed door when he heard a voice from inside. Ophelia was on the phone. 

“Just because it didn’t work with our parents doesn't mean it has to end with you and Soleil,” Ophelia said into the reciever. “I’m going to personally see to it that your relationship, at least, goes well.” 

She was silent, presumably as her sister responded. Odin smiled to himself. Her optimism and their mutual support of each other had helped them perform miracles. Sure, their secret plan to get him and Niles back together hadn’t worked. But the fact that they had managed to get them in the same room after all those years could not be understated. He was proud of them, even at his own expense. Their sibling bond was innate and, he was glad to see, could not even be squashed by years of growing apart from each other. 

“No, Nina, I promise it’s fine,” Ophelia said after a stretch of time. “Just call her in the morning. It’s dark here now, so she might be asleep… Yes, of course. I love you sis. Talk to you later.” 

There was a distinct click of the phone turning off and Odin took his moment to enter the room. He knocked softly then pushed it open. Ophelia didn’t look surprised to see him. When she blinked her eyes hesitated to open right away. 

“Papa,” Ophelia said through a yawn. “How long have you been there?” 

“Just a moment,” he said, walking to her bed. “I came to wish you sweet dreams.” 

He coaxed her under the covers and pulled them up to her chin. As he tucked her in gently she said, “Thank you, Papa, but you know I’m not a kid anymore. I can put myself to bed properly.” 

She sounded like Nina. Odin hadn’t known grown Nina very long, but he was already starting to notice the extra bite in her personality. For a brief moment, he worried that they had switched on him again. But as Ophelia’s eyes started to close, he knew that all of her walls were down and that this was truly her. He thought he could tell that there was an absence of a dimple in her cheek, even without Nina to compare her to. He was getting better at telling them apart. Besides, there would be no more surprises or tricks or traps. It was over now. Things were finally as they should be. 

She was already toeing the line between sleep and wakefulness, and Odin didn’t want to rob her of another second of peace. He kissed her forehead and moved to turn off her lamp, but then she said, in a sleepy voice, “Papa? Do you really not love Dad at all?” 

Odin could actually feel his heart breaking. “That’s a complicated question, love.” 

“Why?” Ophelia asked, her voice barely more than a breath. 

At that moment, Odin saw with perfectly clarity that she was calling him out on his fickleness. He hadn’t answered that one, simple question to even himself. _Why?_ Why couldn’t he be with Niles? Why couldn’t he _love_ Niles? He took a deep breathe, knowing that when he gave her an answer, it had to be the truth, and it had to be well thought out. 

“Because no matter how much we care for each other, I made a decision fourteen years ago. And now I have to face the consequences of that decision. And I’m sorry… That that means you and your sister are dragged into something you don’t want to be apart of. But this is just how the world works.” 

Ophelia sighed and for a second, Odin thought maybe she was asleep. But then she whispered, “It shouldn’t have to be that way. Love should be whatever you want it to be.” 

Odin didn’t fight back. He smiled sadly to himself and turned off the lamp, as he had set out to do a few seconds ago. Her breathing had leveled out seamlessly. She was truly asleep now. Odin stood up slowly and closed the door softly behind him, careful to not disturb her. 

His mind was full of thoughts now. He had been repressing so much throughout the day but Ophelia, his bright daughter, had effortlessly brought them all to the surface. He would have loved to go for a walk or have a talk with someone he trusted. But his mother had already retired, so he went up to his own bedroom, eager to be reunited with his own bed and hoping that it would help put him at ease even if only temporarily. 

*** 

The door closed and the steps moved away, but even then Ophelia held her breath and stayed still until she could be certain without a doubt that Odin was long gone to his room. Then she sat up and she grabbed her phone and furiously typed out a text message to her sister. 

_‘What is happening?’_ She sent urgently. _‘What is the plan??’_

_‘wut plan’_ Came Nina’s reply, almost immediately. _‘we lost’_

_‘Dad said not to give up. What’s he doing? Is he doing something?’_

Ophelia was desperate. It was all she had been able to think about since she left California. That cryptic message that Niles had slipped into her brain before she had left. Surely he had included Nina in his plans. Surely Nina knew by now. And if Nina knew, she would tell Ophelia once Ophelia let her know that she was in on it too. There was more heist to be had. She was certain of it. 

If there wasn’t, her heart would actually break and her dismay would swallow her whole. 

_‘go 2 sleep ophie’_ Nina’s disheartening text read. Ophelia gripped her phone in her hands and glared at it. Nina was being difficult again. Ophelia was certain they had grown past this and that they were in on all of their plans together now. 

_‘I can’t sleep, I feel like there is more we can do.’_

_‘like wut? its not like we can just get on a plane n chase after u’_

After reading the text, Ophelia finally allowed herself to be crestfallen. The phone fell into her lap. She could feel the tears coming like an oncoming storm. Was there no hope after all? Did she actually have to admit defeat? 

“I mean, do you even know how much plane tickets _cost_?” came a voice suddenly from Ophelia's bedroom door. It slid open and her gaze slowly rose to meet a face so identical to her own. “Because I do. I got a whole lecture about it on the way over here. About how we can’t just keep jumping across the ocean like its some god forsaken puddle. But to be honest, I don’t think Dad was actually as mad as he let on. And anyway it was his idea in the first place.” 

Ophelia screamed. Or maybe it was a screech? It was a high pitched note of surprise that escaped her throat before she could stop it. She was on her feet, undoing all of Odin’s careful tucking in in an instant, and ran to her door. She ran into her sister’s arms and they spun when Nina caught her. Ophelia really started to cry then. She cried tears of absolute joy. 

“I knew it!” Ophelia shouted as they bounced in place, completely because of her provocation. “I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!” 

“You sound just like grandma,” Nina said with a chuckle. “C’mon Ophelia, did you really think we were just gonna roll over and let this happen?” 

“Of course not!” Ophelia said. She stopped bouncing to wipe at her tears. “We’re a family. I knew you would come after us, because it's what I would have done if the tables were reversed.” She suddenly poked around Nina, her eyes wide and searching. “Is Dad here?” 

Nina nodded and a wicked grin crossed her face. “He’s in Papa’s room. He had to make a, uh… dramatic entrance. I gave him some pointers.” 

Ophelia bounced on her heels. She fidgeted and bit her lip, thinking over her options. She knew what she wanted to do. But was it the right thing to do? “We should probably continue to let them have their moment, huh?” 

Thankfully, Nina laughed. Ever her twin and ever looking out for her, she said, “Screw that,” and grabbed Ophelia’s hand before running up the stairs to see what they had earned unfold. 

*** 

_Love should be whatever you want it to be._ That was what Ophelia had said. His wise Ophelia. Subjectively, he agreed with her. Just because Odin and Niles’ love had been sudden and quick didn’t mean it was invalid. 

_I’m not your family anymore._ That was what Odin had said, before he shut the door on his relationship with Niles forever. He heaved a heavy sigh. Odin had a few regrets in life, and now he had one more. He hadn’t meant it. Niles _was_ his family, for better or worse, divorce notwithstanding. He was the other guardian of Odin’s children. He was his first and last great love. They had shared so much and Odin had denied it all in that one short, stupid phrase in a foolish attempt to protect himself from something he wanted. 

In all of the time Odin and Niles had spent apart, Odin had blamed Niles. It was how he coped. _Why didn’t he chase after me?_ but never _Why did I run in the first place?_ It was always unfairly Niles doing the wrong thing. 

Odin had only himself to blame. And now, alone in his room, his heart was sick, because the reality was inevitable. He loved Niles. And they would never be together and it was all his fault. 

He was so lost in thought, Odin almost didn’t hear the knock at his door. He ignored it of course, cataloging it as a figment of his imagination before he could even give it much thought. Then the knock was louder, sharper, more intrusive. He jumped and looked around. Was that coming from the front door? It was much too loud to be reaching all the way upstairs in his second floor bedroom if- The third knock had Odin turning slowly to face his balcony door. 

There was someone there, which was a wild revelation for Odin to have. He lived on the second floor. The balcony was for decoration, it wasn’t an entrance. And yet there was someone out there. Odin approached it tentatively. 

Slowly, cautiously, Odin unlatched the balcony door. It flew open in his face and there was Niles. Impossibly and perfectly Niles. Odin blinked several times and rubbed at his eyes, urgently trying to prove to himself that he was imaging something. Then a scream or a shout or something rose from downstairs and Odin turned toward it reflexively. Ophelia was- 

Niles grabbed Odin’s wrist as he turned and anchored him in place. Odin opened his mouth, thought about pulling away, but Niles cut him off mid-thought. “That was just Nina surprising Ophelia. They’re fine. We only have a moment of privacy, so please don’t run. I’ve already done so much chasing today.” 

Odin gaped. His stuttered a few half words, nothing concrete. He was wide awake now, that was the only thing he knew for certain. Finally he managed to crank out a feeble, “Are you… Real?” 

Niles released his wrist and smirked triumphantly. “I’m real. I got here as fast as I could. Did you wait long?” 

Odin shook his head. He felt like he was in a dream. “You didn’t have to…” 

“Didn’t have to what? Fly across an ocean and scale a tree to your balcony so that I could tell you how much you mean to me?” Niles chuckled and Odin was glad he finding mirth in this situation, because he for one was speechless. “I can’t live without you, Odin. I’ll leave my vineyard behind if I have to. Because you _are_ my family.” 

_I know._ “But- We can’t-” 

“Why can’t we?” 

That damn question again. Everyone kept asking Odin _why_. And he had answered the question. He had a good answer! It was simply that no one was listening. He had to rephrase it. “Because we got a divorce,” Odin said. He was almost pleading now. Almost trying to convince himself as much as Niles. “We got a divorce and those are final. That was the end of it. The book is closed. The story is over.” 

“Well then it sounds like what we need is a new beginning.” 

With a small grunt, Niles started to kneel. One knee tucked under him as he went down and then he looked up. His mouth opened in the beginning of a sentence, but Odin found his voice and his conviction just in time to cut him off. 

“We can’t keep making these impulsive decisions,” he said, trying to keep his voice level against all odds. This was his last line of defense. His very last attempt at being rational. And if it didn’t work... 

Niles just smiled, a little quirk of a grin at the corner of his mouth. His gaze was soft, adoring, genuine. “This isn’t impulsive. I have been thinking about this since I first saw you in that hotel. Before that even. I’ve spent the last fourteen years trying to think of a way to bring you back to me. And thanks to our wonderful children, I finally have this chance and I’m not going to waste it.” 

Odin’s shaky hand covered his mouth. This was really happening. The way of the world had been shaken to the core. _That wasn’t the way things worked_ was ripped in half. Odin’s world was upside down, but he liked the view better when he was standing on the ceiling. Niles was beautiful and sincere and Odin loved him so much. Did he dare to dream that Niles wanted all the same things he did? 

He didn’t have to dream for much longer, because then Niles said, with his voice clear as a bird’s song at sunrise, “Odin, will you marry me? Again? Forever this time.” 

Was this a second chance or a fifth one? Whatever the exact number of times Odin had messed this up was unknown and irrelevant to him. The real question was if he was going to let it pass him by again. And the answer this time was easier to see than it had ever been before. 

He was unsure at first of how to respond. He would later realize he could have just said _yes_ and Niles would have rose to meet him, but that didn’t seem immediate enough at the time. Odin needed to be kissing Niles about fourteen years ago, he couldn’t wait another second. He fell to his knees so that they were level with each other. His fingers brushed Niles’ lips and cheeks and promptly got lost in his hair. Odin managed to nod at least once before Niles was finally crashing into him. He wrapped his arms around Odin’s entire torso and their mouths hungrily found each other. 

They kissed once, sloppy and unlevel. Odin was all teeth and Niles was all lip, but they managed. When the pulled apart, it was only briefly, to readjust before Niles had a hand on the back of his Odin’s head too and was tilting his face up for a better angle. 

Finally, the reckless burst of passion subsided and Odin ached. He pulled away from Niles only far enough to stand up and help him to his feet too. Their forearms pressed together and they stood just a foot apart, bashful but smiling, just staring at each other as if today was the first day of the rest of their lives. 

“Odin,” Niles said, his voice cracking with emotion. “I love you. I don’t ever want to lose you again.” 

“I love you too, Niles,” Odin agreed softly. “So don’t be afraid, darling. I’m here to stay this time.” 

Their arms snaked along each other’s skin and found tender places to rest. This time their kiss was less desperate. It felt less like the world was ending and more like it had just started and they had so much time ahead of them. They were a phoenix, rising from the ashes, their love born anew. They took time tasting each other, feeling each other. The past and the future finally melded into one as did their bodies. And all was right with the world. 

Their bliss was finally popped when the door flew open with a bang and two teenagers fell into a crumpled mess on the floor. For a half a second, the four of them just stared at each other, flabbergasted and speechless. Then laughter broke the tension. No one was sure who started it. The girls hopped off the floor only to be tackled back down by their fathers. 

The laughing and hugging and celebrating didn’t stop. But somewhere in the tangle of limbs, Ophelia and Nina managed to break out an arm each and share the most satisfying high five. They’d done it. They had reunited their family. 

They had won. 

*** 

Up until recently, Soleil was pretty confident that girls were the cutest things in the world. Then she had met Xander Nohr’s toddler, Siegbert. _Then_ she saw Xander propose to her own father in front of a small crowd at a wedding reception. Now Soleil wasn’t sure what she thought. 

Immediately after Soleil saw her dad nod his head that _yes_ he would marry Xander, tears brimming the corner of his eyes, she bent to scoop up her new soon-to-be step brother and ran to the nearest table of strangers. 

“Look at him,” she cooed. She didn’t know these people. She didn’t know many people at this party, though, as she was back in America where she knew only a few people. One of them was busy kissing her dad and the others hadn’t appeared at the party yet, so she had to resort to strangers, and she was comfortable with that. “Isn't he adorable? And he’s all mine now, my new brother.” 

The woman looked concerned as Siegbert’s chubby fingers dug into Soleil’s shoulder and he hid his face in her neck. “I don’t mean to sound rude,” began the woman, obviously about to say something rude. “But didn’t Xander just meet that man fairly recently? Aren’t they moving a little quickly?” 

Soleil rolled her eyes. This woman knew nothing about love. “I wouldn’t worry about it. If they break up, my new precious brother and I will just parent trap them.” 

The stranger blinked in confusion. “Pardon me? Parent… Trap?” 

“Oh, you haven't heard?” Soleil said raising an eyebrow and taking a seat. 

She balanced baby Siegbert on her lap and relished in how he looked up at her as she told her tale. After all, this story was as much for him as it was for the stranger. She wanted him to understand that no matter what crazy ideas he came up with in his life, he would always have his big sister there to watch his back. It’s what siblings did. 

“Well that is a darling story,” the woman said, giving Soleil that look that adults always gave children when they were being cute but impractical. “But it is not how reality works.” 

“Don’t be so sure,” came a voice from over the woman’s shoulder. Soleil looked up and her eyes widened. She had only met this woman briefly. Most of her impression of her came from stories she had heard. But Charlotte winked at the woman and said in the same casual tone. “Twins switch places to get their parents back together? It’s not as crazy as you think. I watched it happen with my own eyes. And, in fact, we’re here to celebrate the result of that trap they set today.” 

The woman looked as if she was about to ask for clarification, but she was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Leo Nohr. The crowd quieted instantly as he announced in a booming voice, “Attention guests. It is with great pleasure that I am now able to introduce to you the happy family, Odin, Niles, Nina and Ophelia.” 

They arrived as a unit, arms draped around each other, all four of them in matching white dresses and suits that Odin had designed himself. The crowd cheered and the freshly united family waved. Nina and Ophelia were holding hands tightly between their parents, who snuck one kiss over their heads as the crowd continued clapping. 

Soleil made eye contact with her skeptical guest and nodded triumphantly at the twins. Charlotte was already gone, but she appreciated the validation. “Anything is possible ma’am. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go introduce my adorable baby brother to my best friend and my girlfriend.” 

After fighting through the crowd, Soleil brandished her new brother for Ophelia and Nina proudly. Ophelia tickled him under his chin and he giggled a little. “He’s adorable Soleil,” she said. “Also Congratulations! We heard about the engagement. So sorry we missed it.” 

“Uncle Laslow is lucky,” Nina said nodding. “They make a cute couple.” 

“Yeah, but they’re not the only cute couple here,” Ophelia said. She suddenly scooped Siegbert out of Soleil’s arms. He didn’t protest but Soleil’s grip followed him, as if magnetized to him. Ophelia held him back. “Nu-uh. You two have to go dance. I’ve got him.” 

Indeed, now that the freshly wed couple had arrived, the first dance music started to play. Odin heartily invited any couple that wanted to to join them on the dance floor. Xander and Laslow, and Nina and Soleil were the first ones to join them. About halfway through the song, Leo found someone else to take care of the baby so that he could invited Ophelia to dance with him and she delightfully agreed. 

The party raged on for so many more hours. It was a longer, bigger affair than Niles and Odin’s first wedding. It was a little more traditional, of course, Lissa had seen to that herself. Which also meant it was already being lauded as the best party of the year. Guests would be comparing it to that years upcoming Nohr Gala, especially since it was at the same venue. None of the Nohr’s in attendance seemed to mind, though. 

The sky turned dark and the fairy lights all around the hotel courtyard flicked on long before the party started to wind down. But eventually it did. Guests who weren’t as close to the reunited family filtered out and older guests took seats to talk. Ophelia, Nina and Soleil kept dancing, the three of them full of energy by themselves, laughing and celebrating their success. Siegbert fell asleep in Laslow’s arms and he sat just off from the dance floor to watch the girls. Lissa and Leo were deep in conversation about Lissa’s decoration choices around the hotel. It was the perfect moment, arguably the only moment, for Odin and Niles to escape. 

They ducked and dashed away from the small crowd while they had a chance. They found their way out to the little courtyard, their hidden spot on the bridge. Arms wrapped around each other's waists as they walked comfortably, smiling and laughing about nothing and everything. 

“Did you see Charlotte here?” Odin asked after they were certain they had peace and privacy. 

Niles nodded and hummed. “I didn’t invite her.” 

“I know,” Odin said proudly. “I did. She brought her whole family. They were very lovely people. She seems to be getting along just fine.” 

“That’s good to hear,” Niles said. “I felt bad for what I dragged her into. But there is nothing a loving family can’t fix.” 

Odin stopped walking and effectively stopped Niles too by stepping in front of him. He brought his other arm around Nile’s waist and pulled him in. “You and I know that better than anyone, huh?” 

Niles chuckled, his mouth hovering close to Odin’s. “We have to remember to thank them later.” 

“For tricking us?” 

“Absolutely.” 

“Oh, we will. We’re going to be thanking them for the rest of our lives,” Odin said. And just before he pulled Niles in for a sweet, well deserved kiss, he said, “Because this has been and always will be an everlasting love.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FJDKSAJFASDFDSA IT'S OVER. THANK YOU FOR PATIENCE WITH MY LONG UPDATES. I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. PLS GO WATCH THE PARENT TRAP IF U HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO. UH. I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY. JUST. THANK YOU. THE END. :'3


End file.
